The Measure of a Man
by Madisuzy
Summary: The remnants are rejected by the life stream, waking up in Aerith's church only to be discovered by the Turks. Mother is gone and with her, their weapons and powers. Takes place immediately after ACC. Tseng/Rufus/Yazoo - Kadaj/Reno - Loz/Rude
1. Rebirth

**Title - The Measure of a Man**

**Fandom – FFVII**

**Characters – Yazoo, Kadaj, Loz, Tseng, Reno, Rude, Rufus**

**Warnings this chapter – yaoi, swearing**

**Disclaimer – Don't own the boys, just playing with them**

**N****ote – Story begins immediately after Advent Children**

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_**Autors Note – **Written for Chephren for her birthday. I gave myself the challenge of writing this in two weeks… and then it exploded into a multi chapter story… so I failed to finish it all in time. I will be continuing with it until it is completed though… just might take a while. Hope you like it anyway, baby! *hugs*_

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– **Chapter 1 – Rebirth –**

Yazoo woke up in his brother's arms, Loz's strong features pulled into a worried frown that quickly transformed into a relieved grin.

"Brother, you're finally awake," he whispered, tears glistening in his eyes as he brought up a hand to cup Yazoo's face.

"Don't cry, Loz," Yazoo murmured, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He was suddenly pulled against his oldest brother's chest and he allowed it, knowing that it was the most efficient way of calming down the emotional young man. The movement made him aware that they were waist deep in water and as he glanced over Loz's shoulder, Yazoo found they were in the ruins of an old building.

"Brother, where are we?" he asked softly, worry clear in his voice.

"At our rebirth," another voice answered, causing Yazoo to pull back from Loz and look behind himself. Kadaj was sitting on the edge of the pool of water, his face fearful as their eyes locked together. "She's gone, brother. Mother has… abandoned us," he whined, tears falling down his cheeks. Yazoo's heart hurt to see his little brother so distressed and he untangled himself from Loz, opening his arms and pulling the smallest of them into his embrace.

"We still have each other," Yazoo whispered, his own voice breaking as he realized Kadaj was right. Mother was gone, her absence leaving a void inside of him and a soul deep loneliness.

"But why?" Loz sobbed from behind him. The middle brother reached out one arm, pulling the oldest towards them as all three clung together.

"Because we failed her. We… we are failures. Unworthy… useless…," Kadaj began mumbling until Yazoo interrupted him.

"No, Kadaj. We are not unworthy… not useless. Sephiroth failed, not us," he crooned, trying desperately to be strong in the face of the complete rejection from their only reason for living, their mother.

"But she left us! Now… now we have nothing and no-one!" Kadaj ranted, his voice rising in volume as his grief turned into anger. "We did everything for her! Everything she ever asked and this is our reward?" Pushing away from his brothers, the youngest stood up and began to pace back and fourth beside the pool of water as he continued. "You are right, Yazoo. We didn't fail. We did all we were asked to do and it was Sephiroth who failed. Why should we pay for his failure?"

Kadaj stopped then, turning back to his siblings with an angry flick of his hair. "I hate her! She didn't deserve our love, didn't deserve our loyalty when she really only ever wanted him!"

Approaching voices brought the discussion to an abrupt halt, all three brothers turning towards the entrance of the ruined building. "Turks!" Kadaj hissed, recognizing one of the voices, his hand reaching for his sword only to find it gone. Yazoo and Loz also found their weapons missing but it didn't concern the trio too much. They knew from previous experience that bare hands were more than enough against this foe.

Kadaj walked over to stand in an area clear of debris, confidently facing the direction of the voices. His brothers climbed out of the water and took their places beside him, silently waiting for the approaching enemy. Yazoo smiled, knowing that right now a fight would be the perfect remedy to their despair at mother's abandonment.

***..***

"Reno, shut up," Tseng ordered, glancing over at the redhead with a frown.

"But boss! Everyone else in the whole city is celebrating right now. We're missing the party of the century and for what? To steal water? We deserve to cut lose as much as everyone else!" Reno continued to whine, completely ignoring the look of death the leader of the Turks directed at him.

"Reno," Rude growled in warning, knowing that Tseng's temper was running short as the recent events had pushed them all to their limits. He would have slapped the back of Reno's head to emphasis his point if his hands weren't occupied with carrying the two canisters for the so called 'holy water'. Rufus wanted the liquid studied, to see if it could be replicated for other uses and it was doubtful that Cloud and his gang would allow them any, as their trust of the President's intentions was still fragile, at best.

"What? It's true, isn't it? We fought too, nearly got ourselves killed helping out and this is what we get? More fucking work? Sucks to be a Turk tonight, partner," Reno continued, oblivious to Tseng as the head Turk stopped walking, his spine stiff with anger. Rude flinched when the Wutain suddenly grabbed the redhead and threw him up against the outer wall of Aerith's church, pressing up against Reno with pure venom in his gaze.

"Maybe you would like me to relieve you of your duties," Tseng growled, fisting Reno's shirt and nearly lifting him off the ground. The redhead gaped at his leader, his shock at the head Turk's reaction clear on his face. Rude was glad he wasn't the one having Tseng's anger directed towards him… Tseng angry was scarier than he'd imagined.

"Sorry boss!" Reno quickly blurted, his words failing to calm the fuming Turk as the hand fisting his shirt let go only to move up and clasp his throat.

"We would all like to be relaxing and enjoying the moment but we are Turks and this is what we do. The quicker you shut the fuck up and let us get on with this, the quicker I can get home and finally get some sleep!" Tseng hissed, tightening his grip until a large hand squeezed his shoulder, making him flinch in pain.

"Tseng, we need him to help carry the canisters back to the van," Rude's deep voice murmured flatly. Rude knew that squeezing Tseng's injured shoulder was a cheap shot, but he didn't want things to get anymore out of hand. It seemed to work, the pain bringing the Wutain back to himself enough that he released the redhead, taking a step backwards as Reno coughed and directed hurt eyes towards him.

The two stood, staring at each other before Reno's lips finally curved up into his trademark grin. "Boss, you really need to get laid," he remarked, dodging Tseng's fist and ducking inside the church entrance. Rude shook his head, sighing in frustration at his partner's constant death wish.

"I would suggest a month of night shifts for him. That will hurt more than any beating ever could," the dark Turk commented, watching as Tseng battled his aggravation back under control. He was worried about how much the last few weeks had affected the Wutain as usually, nothing Reno said would get more than a raised eyebrow from their stoic leader.

"Good suggestion," the Wutain responded, closing his eyes momentarily and breathing in deeply. "Thank you, Rude."

"Your shoulder still hasn't begun to heal. You should take some of the holy water home and wash the wound with it," Rude commented, walking past Tseng to enter the church.

***..***

Tseng watched Rude go, making a note to give him some extra days off in the future. He knew his frustration with being so incapacitated was adding to his instability and was willing to try nearly anything to rid his body of the constant reminder of his time with the remnants. The smallest brother had pierced his shoulder with his sword, the twin blades going clear through but still he'd somehow managed not to scream in pain. It was when the other brother, Yazoo had poured something into the wound, making his whole body contort in pain, that he'd finally screamed. The agony as the mystery substance flowed though his body, burning him from the inside out was something he would never forget. Since that day, he'd tried everything from potions to cure materia with no success. The skin around the injury was black and the wound seemed to be getting worse, every day. Tseng was still lost in thought as he entered the church, so much so that he nearly walked into Reno and looked up in surprise.

"We got company, boss," the redhead remarked, making Tseng's eyes dart up to discover the three remnants standing only meters away. _No…not now…, _the Wutain thought, taking a step back before he could stop himself. His eyes showed his fear for only a second before he managed to pull back up his walls.

"Well, if it isn't our favourite Turk," Kadaj teased. "Have you come to play with us again, Tseng?"

"Come to kick your ass, little fucker," Reno responded, his grin feral as he turned on his EMR, swinging it up to point at the youngest of the remnants. "Want to find out what colour you freaks bleed."

Kadaj scoffed, rolling his eyes at the redhead's bravado. "As if scum like you could make us bleed," he retorted, a chuckle following his words.

"Reno," Rude whispered under his breath in warning, putting the canisters down and cracking his knuckles. Tseng knew both of his Turks were putting up a brave front as this was a fight they couldn't win but what other option did they have but to try?

Ignoring Rude, Reno continued on regardless. Tseng figured that the redhead was trying to anger the fiery leader of the Remnants, hoping that maybe he'd make a mistake, leave an opening that could be exploited. It wasn't much of a plan, but knowing Reno, he probably figured that if it failed, at least he'd get the satisfaction of pissing off the little brat before he died.

"Awe, you been crying, baby? What's wrong? Smarting over the ass kicking Cloud gave you?" Reno teased.

"You have a big mouth, Turk," Kadaj spat.

"Yeah, I do. But at least I have worth, just for being me. You three are just substitutes, vessels for the mighty Sephiroth. How pathetic to be an empty shell, waiting around for the general to take over and use you, however he likes," Reno drawled. The redhead's plan seemed to be working, as all three brothers where now glaring at him.

***..***

"You… how dare you!" Kadaj spluttered, dashing forward towards Reno. Yazoo watched his brother charge, his movements so slow that he found himself fearing for the smallest of them. Kadaj eyes widened suddenly, seemingly realizing that something was wrong, but it was too late. Reno's EMR swung towards him, connecting with his face and sending him flying towards the floor, the crackling of the electric charge echoing in the church. Sudden silence filled the room, the Turks staring in shock at how easily Kadaj had gone down, all three glancing up just in time to see Loz running towards them, his face twisted in rage.

"Brother!" he yelled, charging towards Reno only to be stopped by Rude's fist, the punch sending him back onto his butt with a yelp of pain. Loz put a hand up to his lip, holding it out to find blood on his hand. The oldest remnants eyes clouded over in confusion as he glanced over towards Yazoo. "What has happened to us?" he whimpered.

Yazoo was shell shocked, fear filling him as he witnessed his brothers fall so easily. Burying his fear, he turned towards the Turks, determined to defend his family. "Turk scum!" he hissed, running towards their foes and managing to duck between Reno and Rude. He aimed for Tseng, knowing that if he could take down the leader, the other two would fall back to defend him. A part of him longed to duel with the Wutain, as he'd developed a fascination with him after having him as their prisoner. The head Turk had been so brave and had broken so beautifully with mothers help.

Pulling back his fist, he swung at the head Turk's face, only to find air as Tseng dodged out of the way. Thrown off balance by his swing, he stumbled, falling forward and losing his footing. Arms grabbed hold of him, slamming him face first into the hard floor and a heavy weight fell against his back. Yazoo hissed at the sudden pain, his body protesting at the abuse.

"Well, isn't this interesting?" a deep voice purred, warm breath ghosting over his ear and making him shiver. "Are you afraid, pretty one?" Yazoo bit his lip to hold back a whimper, remembering that those where the exact words he had whispered to the Turk, before he'd poured his own blood into the Wutain's wound. Tears welled in his eyes as he realized that without mother and her powers, he was defenseless against Tseng and the man had every reason to make him suffer. He may still have his brothers, but with the rest of the world against them, how could they possibly survive? A sob escaped him without warning and he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to control the sudden burst of emotions.

***..***

Yazoo's sob stopped Tseng, making him pause as he considered what to do next. The Wutain wanted to hurt the brothers, especially Yazoo and the urge was hard to control, but this was not the time or the place for revenge. They could be discovered by others at any moment and he didn't want to have to explain what they were doing in the church, stealing the so called 'holy water' to Cloud or any of his group.

"Reno, Rude. Cuff those two and put them out in the van. Reno, you stay out there, watch them and keep an eye out for any interruptions. Rude, come back and fill the canisters. We need to get out of here as soon as possible," he ordered, sitting up so he was straddling Yazoo's body, which was trembling beneath him. Grabbing both of the middle brother's arms, he cuffed them behind his back before taking a moment to rub his shoulder which was aching from the short scuffle. He watched the other two Turks cuff Kadaj and Loz, Reno picking up the still unconscious youngest brother and carrying him outside. Loz walked ahead of Rude, putting up no resistance as he wept quietly.

Standing up, Tseng pulled Yazoo upright and wrapped an arm around his waist from behind, pulling their bodies flush. Leaning over his shoulder, he whispered in his ear, "I suggest you co-operate fully with us. Otherwise, I will have the perfect excuse to do some 'playing' of my own." He felt Yazoo push back slightly against him and he flinched back, scowling at the back of the young man's head. "Do that again and I'll break your arm," he hissed, holding Yazoo's cuffs but keeping distance between their bodies.

Pushing the still silent remnant towards the entrance, he was relieved when his captive didn't give him any trouble, head down and seemingly obedient. Rude came back in, just as they reached the doorway, his eyes full of concern as his gaze rested on Tseng. "Want me to take him out to the van?" the dark Turk asked.

"No, I'll do it. You start filling up the canisters. I'll send Reno back in to help you," the Wutain replied, pushing Yazoo to get him moving again.

***..***

The drive back to Healin' Lodge was long and silent. Even Reno, who usually never shut up, found the atmosphere too heavy for words, instead chain smoking the whole way. The closer they got to their destination, the more worried he became. The three brothers deserved to be punished for their actions but the young men in the back of the van already seemed broken and they still didn't know how much of what they'd done was Jenova and how much was their true nature. Did someone under Jenova's control even have any choice over their actions or were they simply puppets to her will?

Sighing, Reno propped his head on his hand, staring out the window into the darkness. _Maybe I've just been spending to much time with Cloud's group and all that heroic crap is rubbing off on me_, Reno mused. A year ago, he wouldn't have even had a second thought about the morals of what he was doing. Shaking his head, Reno lit up yet another smoke. Tseng had saved him, leading him to a better life and in return, he would follow the Wutain's orders and ignore his conscious.

***..***

Rude sat in the back of the van, watching the three captives intently. Kadaj had woken up during the drive, looking up at him only to glare and bury his face in Yazoo's chest. The middle remnant hadn't even looked at his younger brother, his eyes locked onto the back of Tseng's head as the Wutain drove the van. Rude had no idea what had passed between the two in the church but he could tell that Yazoo was frightened. Considering how effected Tseng had been since escaping the remnants torture, he had a bad feeling that the young man's fears where all too justified.

The oldest brother sat next to him, tears still falling as he cried silently, staring at the floor of the van. Rude hated to admit it, but Loz did pull at his heart strings, although he made sure his face didn't betray his feelings. With the aggression and arrogance stripped away, all that seemed to be left was despair and an odd kind of childish innocence that was disconcerting.

About half way through the journey, Loz seemed to have cried himself to sleep, his head falling onto Rude's shoulder and his cuffed hands grasping onto the dark Turks arm. Rude ignored his closeness as he didn't have the heart to move him away.

***..***

Tseng brought the van to a stop, relieved to see the Presidents car already parked in the garage. At least Elena and Rufus were already here and the final decision of how to proceed with the remnants would be taken off his hands. He had no idea what Rufus would decide but the more time he'd had to consider their options, the less he'd wanted to be responsible for it. He would, unfortunately, most likely be asked for a recommendation though. The need for revenge was ebbing inside of him, pure mental and physical exhaustion dousing the flames of his anger and leaving him worn out and numb. He'd used the silence of the drive to mull over the facts of the situation in his mind, disregarding the history he'd shared with the three brothers and making his final report based solely on the facts.

"Boss?" Reno's voice called softly from the passenger seat of the van, making him turn towards him. The redhead was looking at him with an expression of concern mixed with fear and it disturbed the Wutain. Turks shouldn't be afraid of each other.

"I wanted to say sorry for my over reaction outside of the church," Tseng murmured, his eyes darting away from Reno's face. Apologizing was not something the Wutain had much experience with.

"Hey, no drama. Been one crazy week so all's good," Reno replied casually, his smile genuine as Tseng's eyes finally met his. "Eh, I was asking for it anyway. Sorry to pull your chain but I couldn't resist the temptation. You're just so damn cute when you're angry."

"Reno," Tseng growled, his grin belying his harsh tone. "Don't push your luck."

"Yeah, yeah," Reno chuckled, opening his door and climbing out, only to pause and poke his head back inside. "Want me and Rude to show the freaks to their rooms?"

"Leave the cuffs on and secure them as a level one threat until Rufus orders otherwise," Tseng answered, getting out of the van and rubbing his shoulder automatically. "Don't forget to bring up the canisters either."

***..***

Reno nodded, watching with a frown as Tseng walked slowly up the front stairs. He couldn't shake the feeling that his boss was far too close to breaking and he it worried him. He knew it was the Wutain that held them all together and without him, the Turks would surely fall apart.

A sudden bang from the inside the van jolted the redhead out of his musing and he hurried to the back doors, opening them to find an impatient looking Rude glaring out at him. Well, Reno imagined he was glaring… it was always so hard to tell with Rude and those shades of his.

"Hey kids, we're home!" Reno happily announced, smiling broadly at the group before him. Suddenly, he noticed that Loz was leaning on Rude's shoulder, fast asleep with his cuffed hands clinging to the Turks arm. "Well, look who's gone and bonded on the way home. Such a cute couple."

"Reno, I will kill you if you don't shut up," Rude grumbled, turning towards Loz and gently shaking him awake. "Time to move," he murmured.

"Mother?" Loz whispered and Rude shook his head at the oldest brother before climbing out of the van. He held out his hand and gestured for the oldest to follow him, assisting him down onto the driveway.

"Boss says they're still a level one threat," Reno remarked, looking at Rude intently as he tried to figure out just what his partner was feeling. The dark Turk was being so gentle with Loz and it was… well, odd.

"Got it," Rude replied, avoiding his partners eyes as he grasped Loz's arm to direct him in the right direction.

***..***

The walk to the newly completed building which contained the holding cells was silent. Once they arrived at Loz's cell, Rude opened the door and led the oldest to sit down on the bed, connecting his cuffs to a chain that was attached to the floor. It allowed enough movement for the remnant to be able to move around the cell freely, but still kept him about two feet from the door at its full length. Loz jangled the chain and looked up at him, sad eyes pleading for release.

"Sorry. Orders," Rude muttered, stopping to watch as the oldest brother lay back on the bed and curled up, his tears beginning anew.

By the time he got back to the van, Reno had Yazoo standing next to it, ready for Rude. The middle brother was pale, his eyes blank and face expressionless. Rude took his arms and guided him to his cell, having to walk him over to the bed and put a hand on his shoulder to get him to sit down. Yazoo didn't show any reaction at all when the chain was attached and Rude left the room without comment. Once the door was locked, he took a moment to stop, breathing in deeply as pity welled up in his mind for the brothers. Feelings such as those were not acceptable for a Turk and he blamed his weak emotional state on exhaustion as he returned outside. This time, he found Reno swearing with one arm wrapped around his waist.

"The little bitch kicked me!" the redhead whined, glaring into the back of the van.

Ignoring his partner, Rude reached into the back and lifted the canisters down, one at a time. Glancing back in, he saw Kadaj curled up against the far side, anger and fear clear on his face as tears fell from his wide eyes. It was the last straw for Rude, already past his limit, emotionally, for one day.

"Deal with it," he growled, hefting up both canisters and making for the stairs without looking back for Reno's reaction.

***..***

"Rude? Rude!" Reno called, staring after his partner as he was ignored. "Damn, fuck it all… why do I always get the difficult one?" he whined, continuing watching as Rude put down one of the canisters to open the door and go inside. He returned in moments, lifting the second before turning to look down at Reno.

"Don't hurt him either," he called before disappearing back inside, Reno not even getting the chance to respond.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Reno cursed, taking out a smoke and lighting it as he kicked at the dirt under his feet. "Nice, real nice partner. Just leave me to do all the fucked up jobs, as usual," he muttered.

"I'm not a fucked up job," a small voice hissed from the van, making Reno peer back inside at Kadaj who was still balled up in the far corner.

"Awe, come on kid. I didn't mean nothing personal by it. I've just had a crappy day and I don't want to get kicked again. Please, just come on out and I'll take you to a room where you'll be right next door to your bro's, okay?" Reno crooned, trying to put on his best sympathetic voice.

"You've had a crappy day? My mother abandoned me! How can a stupid Turk ever know what that feels like?" Kadaj spat, his voice rising as his anger peaked, once more.

"Yo, this crappy Turk knows exactly how that feels. My mother abandoned me too. At least you still got ya brothers. I had nobody until Tseng found me," Reno blurted before suddenly realizing what he'd said. _Shit, fuck! Nice one numbnuts! Tell the enemy your personal history, why don't you!_ Smacking a hand to his forehead, Reno sighed in frustration. Today had definitely been too long a day and the sooner it ended, the better.

"Look, I'm sorry you lost your mum. I'm sorry I've been such an ass to you. Just… please, can't you come on out so I can put you to bed and we can all get some sleep? You'll be right next door to Loz and Yazoo…," Reno began, his voice trailing off as his worn out brain tried to think up a more convincing argument.

***..***

Kadaj peered out at the redheaded Turk as he thought about what he'd said. It was the first time in his life anyone had ever apologized to him or said please and it threw him off his usual path of anger and threats. His body still refused to stop trembling and he had to admit, he was so tired that it was an effort just to keep his eyes open. Creeping forward slowly, Kadaj paused just out of reach of the Turk and studied him. "Are you going to hurt me with that stick again?"

"No, I'm not. Just gonna help you out of the van and walk you to your room," Reno said gently, a small smile on his lips. Finally, the youngest brother shuffled forward and let the redhead help him out of the van, turning to stare up at him. Before that smile had angered him, making him want to hurt the Turk and wipe it away but now it had a completely different reaction. A strange feeling he didn't know swept over him as he continued to gaze upwards and try to understand it.

***..***

Reno stopped, caught in the fiery brother's gaze as he tried to work out what was going on in the mind of the unpredictable little one. The moonlight shone down, making Kadaj's pale skin glow and emphasizing the dark bruise on his cheek. "Sorry about whacking you so hard," Reno whispered, a finger tracing the damaged skin softly. "After you kicked my ass last time, I honestly didn't think I'd be able to connect it." Kadaj's eyes widened at the touch and Reno suddenly realized that he was, once again, slipping. _Tseng will tie my balls in a bow if he finds out about this_, he thought, taking a step back and mentally shaking himself.

"Okay, enough chatting. Better get you inside," he mumbled, pushing the doors of the van shut and placing a hand on Kadaj's back to direct him to the cells. The youngest brother was silent until he was sitting on the bed, his chains connected and Reno heading for the door.

"Reno?" he softly called.

"Yeah, kid?" the redhead replied, turning in the doorway to look back.

"Will… will you come back and see me again?" Kadaj asked, those big eyes peering up at him again.

"Sure. Try and get some sleep and I'll see you soon, okay?" Reno replied, giving the young man a last smile before closing the cell door. He took a moment in the hallway, leaning on the wall and pulling out another smoke as he closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, finally lighting it and chuckling to himself. "Defenseless my ass. Those eyes are paralyzing," he muttered to the empty hall.

**TBC**

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...


	2. Damage

**Title - The Measure of a Man **

**Fandom – FFVII**

**Characters – Yazoo, Kadaj, Loz, Tseng, Reno, Rude, Rufus, Elena**

**Warnings this chapter – yaoi, swearing, angst**

**Disclaimer – Don't own the boys, just playing with them**

**Note – Story begins immediately after Advent Children**

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– **chapter 2**** - Damage –**

Tseng was coming out of Rufus' office when he met Rude in the hallway. "Reno's putting the last one in the cells now. Here," he said, passing a small flask to the Wutain. Tseng raised an eyebrow at the container and Rude added, "Holy water for your shoulder," before continuing down the hallway towards the communal kitchen. Tseng smiled, tucking the flask into his jacket before following the Turk.

In the kitchen, Elena had pizza's waiting for them and the smell of the various toppings filled the room. "It was Reno's choice tonight," she remarked to Rude as Tseng entered. The Wutain wasn't fond of pizza but he was too tired and hungry to care tonight.

"Thank you, Elena," Tseng said, earning a bright smile from the petite blonde. He gave a small smile back, settling down to eat slowly. Elena and Rude joined him at the table, talking about everything that had happened that day but he had no energy to join in the conversation. Once his hunger had been sated, Tseng excused himself and went to his room, slipping off his shoes and pulling the flask out of his pocket to put it on the bedside table. Flopping onto his bed fully dressed, he couldn't even find the energy to undress as he closed his eyes and let sleep take him.

***..***

Reno walked into the kitchen, flopping down into a chair and starting on the nearest pizza. "How did he handle it?" Elena asked, directing her question at Rude.

"Professional, as always," Rude answered, passing Reno a beer automatically. Elena hummed in response, her eyes downcast.

"He was a little… well, weird when we got back. Apologized to me for losing his cool before we ran into the remnants," Reno added casually, drinking half his beer in one go and belching loudly.

"Pig," Elena automatically responded, making the redhead chuckle.

"Really? He apologized?" Rude asked, frowning.

"Yeah, it threw me but it's not necessarily a bad thing," Reno said, looking over at Elena who was still deep in thought. "Really wish you'd just tell us what they did to you and him, Lena. It's probably gonna come out anyway, with them all here."

"Not my place to tell you about what he went through," she remarked, nodded her thanks to Rude as he passed her a beer. "I can only tell you what happened to me."

"Fair enough," the redhead agreed, helping himself to another slice of pizza.

"You don't have to, Lena," Rude cut in, making the young woman smile.

"It's okay. It's probably better that you know now anyway. I'd rather you hear it from me than them."

Reno listened to her story intently, passing her more beer whenever her bottle ran out. He knew that with enough alcohol, she would eventually spill what she knew about Tseng. The only surprise was that Rude, who was usually so protective of their only remaining female member, was going along with it. It seemed Reno wasn't the only one concerned about their leader.

The first day of their imprisonment had been fairly textbook, with intimidation, beatings, threats and constant questions about mother, leaving both Turks injured but far from broken. That night they had been left out in the open, tied to opposite sides of the same tree. Tseng asked her about her injuries and she told him that one broken arm and a couple of cracked ribs were her only concerns so far. He had refused to elaborate on his own wounds, which had really pissed Elena off. Tseng's 'superman' attitude always did rub the female Turk the wrong way. She was still confident at that stage that they would survive the experience, her only worry being that the smell of their blood might attract some passing beast that would eat them. Elena had a paranoid fear of being eaten alive and Reno was always amused by the fact it was the only thing that ever seemed to scare the tough little blond.

"The next morning, they took Tseng away. The big one stayed with me and just… well watched me. I kept waiting for him to hit me or something but he never did. Come to think of it, he never touched me the whole time we were there. It was always the other two." She paused to finish another beer, rubbing her eyes before continuing.

"For a little while, it was so quiet and then suddenly the screaming started and the fucker just smiled at me. He started mumbling something about mother having fun and laughing… I could tell it was Tseng screaming and it went on and on… gods, I would of done anything to make it stop, to never of have to have heard that sound." Elena had to force the words out through her tears, overcome with a mixture of anger and sadness at the experience. Rude put an arm around her and crooned words of comfort as Reno looked on sympathetically. They'd all been tortured at some point of their careers but out of all of them, Tseng had never screamed. Whatever they'd done to him, it must have been worse than anything they'd experienced before.

"Fuck," the redhead muttered, his mind trying to bring up possibilities that he really didn't want to imagine.

"It went on for so long," she whispered, her eyes unfocused as she remembered. "Finally it stopped but they didn't bring him back until hours after. When they did… he was unconscious and… well, naked. Instead of tying him up behind me, they tied him up to a tree in front of me. They wanted me to see what they'd done, to freak me out, and I hate to admit it, but it was working. He was still bleeding, most of it seemed to be coming from his shoulder which was pierced through and the skin around it was a weird black colour. The injury wasn't bad enough to make him scream like that on its own, so you see, I really don't know what they did to him," she said, looking up at Reno and Rude apologetically. "I wish I could be more help."

"Lena, you are helping. I'm sorry we made you relive it," Reno said, reaching over the table to squeeze her hand. The gesture seemed to give her a little more strength and she continued on, this time her tears held at bay.

"After that, Kadaj and Loz left and Yazoo just stood there, staring at Tseng. I thought that it was my turn next but after about half an hour, he left too. A little while later, Tseng opened his eyes and just stared at the ground. I spent hours trying to get him to respond but he wouldn't, no matter what I said and I began to think that they had broken him beyond repair. I knew I wouldn't be able to survive whatever they'd done if he couldn't and I nearly gave up hope when suddenly Vincent appeared. He untied us, wrapping Tseng up in that cloak of his and carrying him out with me following behind. I asked him how he found us and he said he'd heard the screaming. Ironic how, in the end, that was what saved us."

"When did Tseng come out of that state and start talking again?" Rude asked, jolting Reno out of his own thoughts over what Elena had said.

"He spent the whole time we were travelling unconscious, as far as I know. The first time I saw him awake again was at the hospital, after I was released myself. He just acted as if nothing had happened, giving orders as usual and I didn't know how to bring it up."

Reno was angry, his mind supplying a variety of disturbing images to try and explain what the remnants had done to his leader. Shaking his head, he cursed himself as he remembered how kind he'd been to Kadaj, outside just a little while ago. "We should make the fuckers scream for what they did to Tseng," he growled angrily.

"And let ourselves fall to the same level as possessed remnants of a madman? I don't think so, Reno. I would hope, after everything we've been through, that we were above that now," Rufus' voice interrupted, making all three Turks turn towards him as he stepped out of the hallway. "They are no longer a threat to anyone except themselves."

"But Sir! After what they did to Tseng…," Reno began, standing up from his chair as he spoke, only to have Rufus hold up a hand to stop him.

"It was Tseng that recommended they not be tortured. He pointed out that the trio have no information that we need and with their apparent removal from Jenova's influence and lose of power, they are now nothing more than three confused, rejected children," the President explained, walking over and pouring a coffee. "I did offer to let him have time with them, to do whatever he wanted but he declined."

"Bullshit," Reno growled, making Rufus smile sadly at him.

"My initial thoughts as well, but I'm afraid not. I've decided to honor his wishes in this instance, which means the rest of you have to as well," the President finished, walking down the hall and into his own room.

"There's not enough beer in the world to make this okay," Reno murmured, turning towards his own room and ignoring Rude's calls after him.

***..***

The next morning, Rufus left for Edge, taking Elena and Reno with him. He had a meeting with Reeve Tuesti to discuss where to start the repairs to the city and wouldn't be back for two days. He'd ordered Rude to get the brother's measurements before he left and would be picking up some normal clothes for the trio, as well as informing Cloud of the remnants survival and imprisonment with the Turks. The President had decided that it was better to be up front with Strife, rather than have him find out on his own and come to the wrong conclusions. Tseng was glad it was a conversation he wouldn't be a part of.

It had been decided by the President that Elena would take some time off and stay in Edge for around a month, giving her plenty of time to recover while they worked out what to do with the remnants. She didn't want to be anywhere near them and although Tseng shared her feelings, he found he couldn't leave. The Wutain wanted to be there, to ensure that the trio never hurt anyone again and to have some say in what would be finally done to Yazoo.

Reno had been in a strange mood before they left and once they'd gone, Tseng had lined up Rude and demanded to know why. The big Turk had finally admitted that Elena had told them of her own experience and Reno was frustrated about there being no payback for what had happened to her and Tseng. The Wutain was angry at her at first, but after a while he realized it was what she needed to do, as part of her own healing process. He was relieved she was unaware of the details of what had happened to him and silently thanked Valentine for keeping whatever he had witnessed, or worked out, to himself. The events of that day were his burden to bear and he would never tell another soul. It would be too much like reliving the events and the Wutain would rather pretend it never happened and just try and forget. Unfortunately, the Remnants being right there was not helping him in his attempts.

At least this morning had given him one positive, amongst all the negative. The water from Aerith's church had seemed to work on his shoulder, the pain finally subsiding and the damaged flesh now a healthy pink instead of the sickly black it had been. He had thanked Rude for the idea and the big Turk had demanded to see the wound. Of course, then he'd insisted on treating it and bandaging it up, but the Wutain really didn't mind and found himself appreciating the concern from the quiet man. Tseng had always considered himself a kind of father or at least, older brother to the remaining Turks but it was nice to know that if anything happened to him, Rude would be the perfect replacement as a leader of the group.

Rude took over the care of the brothers, removing their handcuffs and chains as per Rufus' latest orders. Tseng had been relieved for the reprieve as it allowed him to have a break and the head Turk made good use of the time on the first day, meditating and spending most of the time resting in his room. The day was gloriously boring and uneventful and by the time he slipped into bed that night, he was back to his old self, at least outwardly. The nightmares still came, making him wake up with his pulse racing and his body covered in sweat, but he was sure they would fade with time.

The next morning, he was sitting quietly, enjoying his tea when Rude joined him. The Turk had just finished giving the brother's their breakfast and was frowning as he seated himself across the table. Tseng thought about pretending he didn't notice but eventually, his curiosity got the better of him. "What is wrong, Rude," he asked, noticing the way Rude would not meet his eyes.

"Yazoo is refusing to eat. The other two are eating, although the youngest keeps asking for Reno," the big Turk said softly, his eyes briefly lifting to met Tseng's before darting away once more.

"Why would he be asking for Reno?" Tseng asked, ignoring the first part of Rude's statement for now. He only received a shrug of the shoulders in reply, silence falling over the room for a time until Rude spoke once more.

"Yazoo is weakening quickly. I can't get him to talk or eat as he refuses to even acknowledge my presence."

Sighing, Tseng put down his mug and looked over the table at the other Turk. It looked as if the subject wouldn't be so easy to avoid after all. "I'll talk to him," he muttered, standing up and rinsing out his cup in the sink.

"You don't have to. I just thought you should know," Rude murmured, looking over at him sadly. The look annoyed Tseng as he was sick and tired of being treated with pity by those who used to respect and look up to him.

"I said, I'll deal with it," he repeated, the aggravation slipping into his voice. Rude averted his eyes and nodded before standing up and leaving the room.

***..***

Tseng paused in front of Yazoo's cell, wiping his sweaty hands on his pants. _This time it's different, this time you're in control_, he repeated, over and over in his head. Breathing in deeply, he opened the door and found Yazoo lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Walking in, he closed the door behind him and came to a stop next to the bed, looking down at the middle brother.

"If you think I'm going to let you starve to death, you are wrong. I will not let you get out of this so easily," he said, his voice flat despite his racing heart. Taking a syringe out of his pocket, he prepped the needle before injecting it into Yazoo's neck. The young man flinched, causing a twisted smile to spread across the head Turks face.

"So, not as lost as everyone thinks," he muttered, capping the needle and slipping it back into his pocket. "Don't get your hopes up of dying anytime soon. That was just an injection of vitamins, to keep you going. I want you to live, feel the pain that the rejection and abandonment of your mother causes you. Death would only bring you peace." Leaning down over the bed, he hovered over Yazoo's face as he whispered, "I will never allow you peace."

Suddenly, the Remnants eye's flicked towards him and as their gazes met, Tseng flinched away, unable to stop his reaction. He backed away from the bed, his body beginning to tremble. _No, no, not now! _The recent control he'd found deserted him as he backed towards the door.

"Was what we did to you so bad?" Yazoo whispered, sitting up and tilting his head to the side as he studied the Wutain. "Though, it's not the pain we caused that upsets you, is it? Turks know pain. They take and give it as easily as breathing."

"Shut up," Tseng growled, his hand clutching at the door handle behind his back.

"If it was the pain, you would be directing your hate at Kadaj as well. No, it's my actions that have you so traumatized, but why?"

Tseng flew across the room, grabbing Yazoo by the throat and slamming him back onto the bed. Both his hands squeezed tightly as he straddled the young man's body, watching as the Remnant gasped and fought for air.

"You know nothing about me," he hissed as Yazoo's lips turned blue. He couldn't take his eyes off them and as he stared, his mind betrayed him. _So soft and warm…_ "No!" the Wutain yelled, jumping off of Yazoo and leaning against the far wall, breathing heavily.

Yazoo rolled over onto his stomach, fighting for breath as he directed wide eyes at the Turk. "It… was not my… intention… to upset you," the young man forced out between breaths. "I just… do not understand."

"You're not human enough to ever understand," Tseng retorted, opening the door and slamming it in his wake.

***..***

Rude flicked off the monitor, sitting back in the chair and running a hand over his face. He hated himself for spying on Tseng, but he'd had no choice when Rufus had ordered him to force a confrontation between the head Turk and Yazoo, and then record it. The President was not a patient man and the possibility of losing Tseng had caused Rufus to push for answers. Unfortunately, the conversation had only raised more questions, the only thing revealed being that the whole issue definitely revolved around Yazoo. Standing and walking out of Rufus' office, he locked the door before heading for the kitchen. Right now he needed a drink before phoning Rufus with the results of the forced meeting.

Rude already knew what his orders would be. The President would want him to force another confrontation to see what else could be revealed and Rude knew he would refuse him. Tseng was too fragile and from his reaction today, he would probably kill Yazoo if pushed again, not to mention the damage it would do to the Wutain.

Pouring a scotch on ice, he swirled the glass and tried to think of a solution. He could try and get information out of Loz, as the older brother seemed to have developed a measure of trust towards him, but Elena had already told them that he had been with her the whole time. Kadaj had been the only other person there and the little brat only glared at him every time Rude entered his cell. _Glared and asked for Reno… _Rude smiled sadly as his solution suddenly became clear. Leaving the questioning of Kadaj to Reno was the best option and that meant a reprieve until the others returned from Edge. Flipping open his phone, he hit Rufus' number and took a sip of his drink as he listened to it ring. He could only hope that the President would agree with his idea.

***..***

By noon the next day, Rufus was back with a very subdued Reno. As they entered the living area, the redhead simply nodded a greeting at Tseng and went down the hall and into his room. The President motioned for the Wutain to follow him into his office and once they were both inside with the door closed, Rufus turned to face him.

"Sit down, Tseng. There is much we need to discuss," the blonde said with a smile, walking over and preparing two drinks. The head Turk sat stiffly on the sofa, watching his boss suspiciously. He knew Rufus and the young man was acting like he was definitely up to something. Tseng accepted the glass with a nod, raising an eyebrow when he identified the contents as vodka.

"Bad day?" the head Turk inquired. Rufus sat down beside him, smiling before he answered.

"I've had worse, but that's not what I've called you in here for. Much has happened in the last couple of weeks and I have not been available for you to talk to," the President began, stopping to sigh when the Wutain flinched at his words. "Tseng, please. I'm not going to force you to talk about anything you do not wish to. I just… well, I would like to make it clear that I am always here for you, as you have been for me."

Tseng almost gaped at Rufus, managing to hold in the reaction as he stared at the blonde. "Thank you, Rufus. I appreciate the sentiment but I can assure you, there is nothing I need to talk about at the moment," he said slowly, averting his eyes and sipping on his drink.

"Even with the brother's here, there is nothing you need to discuss?" Rufus pressed, causing Tseng to flick his gaze back to the President.

"No, there is nothing," the Wutain said flatly, his eyes cold as their gaze met. "I would ask what has happened to Reno, though." Rufus was silent as he continued to hold the head Turks eyes with his own. Tseng was worried that the other man was going to press the issue and was relieved when he finally relented, for now at least.

"When I spoke to Cloud, Vincent was there. He asked how you were recovering and Reno… well, he didn't react well. Valentine requested to speak to him alone and when Reno resisted, I ordered him to do it. He's not very pleased with me at the moment," the President said with a smirk, taking another sip of his drink. "Whatever Vincent said to him seemed to dissolve his anger, only to replace it with silence. I'm not sure which one is worse."

Tseng's body had stiffened at the mention of Vincent and his inner thoughts started to spin as he attempted to concentrate on Rufus' words. Unfortunately, he failed as his mind focused on the issue of what Valentine had told Reno and the possibilities ended up pushing his mind back to when he and Elena had been saved by the mysterious ex-Turk.

_Warmth suddenly enveloped Tseng__ as he tried to force his eyes open. "Please," he whispered hoarsely. "Please, stop." Through the fog and haze, he felt himself being lifted and could hear a heart beating next to his ear._

"_It is over, Tseng. Sleep now," a deep voice whispered and he fell back into unconsciousness._

_The next time he became aware of his surroundings, he managed to get his eyes open only to be faced with darkness. He was still being held and when he tried to move his limbs, he found they would not respond._

"_Elena?" he rasped, managing to move his hand, only to find his whole body wrapped tightly in some kind of material._

"_She is safe but asleep right now, Tseng," the deep voice again replied, so familiar but the Wutain just couldn't place who was speaking._

"_Who are you?" he said, so quietly that he thought at first his words had gone unheard._

"_A friend," the voice replied, but before Tseng could say anything more, blackness took him again._

_The smell of smoke woke him the third time and when he squinted his eyes open, he could see the flames of a fire dancing before him. His sight was still blurry and his mind still full of a dense fog that wouldn't lift._

"_Fire?" he mumbled, managing to move his legs a little._

"_Tseng?" the mystery voice asked, sounding so close. He suddenly became aware of another source of warmth, this time against his back and as he tried to move, arms tightened around his waist. "Do not try to move. You will aggravate your injuries."_

_The Wutain's whole body tensed in fear. "Please let me go," he begged, desperation lacing his words, even as his body began to react. He could only whimper as his heart rate sped up, his muscles seemingly acting of their own accord as his body pushed back into the form behind him and he squeezed his eyes shut in shame. The need for touch was so strong, like an avalanche crashing over his senses, gaining strength as it went. He threw his head back onto the shoulder of the body holding him upright, his back arching as his voice moaned his need._

"_Sleep," the voice hissed and Tseng sighed in relief as he felt the magic of a sleep spell wash over him…_

"Tseng! Tseng!" a voice called. He was shaken out of his memory, opening his eyes to the sight of Rufus' panicked face.

"Rufus," he muttered, frowning at the sudden headache his memories had caused.

"Thank gaia," the President whispered from his position on the floor, kneeling in front of the head Turk.

"Why are you on the floor, Rufus?" Tseng asked.

"You just fazed out on me. Sitting upright with your eyes closed and you were crying and… I didn't know what to do," Rufus rambled before stopping himself and taking a deep breath. "Are you okay?"

Tseng reached up and touched his cheek, bringing his hand up to stare at the wetness on his fingers. "I… I am sorry," he muttered, putting his hand down. "I am fine and I apologize if I caused you concern. I think I must be overtired. Would you excuse me? I think it best if I lie down now."

"Do you want me to help you get up? Rude is coming…," Rufus began, only to stop as Tseng stood up, stumbling a little and making the President grab him around the waist. "Fuck, Tseng! Please just wait a moment for Rude. I already called him and he's on his way."

"That is unnecessary. I was just a little dizzy at first," Tseng said, looking down at the blonde who was still clinging to his waist. "You can let me go now, Rufus. I will not fall but I thank you for your concern." The President reluctantly released him and Tseng headed out the door, leaving Rufus to stare after him as he headed straight to his room.

**TBC**

..


	3. Payback

**Title - The Measure of a Man **

**Fandom – FFVII**

**Characters – Yazoo, Kadaj, Loz, Tseng, Reno, Rude, Rufus**

**Warnings this chapter – yaoi, swearing, angst, handjob, non-con, bad Tseng…lol**

**Disclaimer – Don't own the boys, just playing with them**

**Note – Story begins immediately after Advent Children**

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_Thanks to Amon2 and violetspain for your reviews!_

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– **chapter 3**** – Payback -**

Reno stood in the shower the next morning, mentally preparing himself for the day ahead. The anger he'd felt towards the three brothers had ebbed away, the redhead coming to except the fact the three remnants had been puppets of Jenova when they'd harmed Tseng and Elena. Instead, it was now the mystery of what had damaged the usually unbreakable Tseng that took over his thoughts. What he'd learnt on the visit to Edge had only added to his confusion.

"_If you care for him, you will let this go," Vincent informed him, refusing to elaborate on what Elena had already said. "Your anger only causes him more pain."_

"_Well, what else can I do? I can't just sit back and watch him fall apart. He saved me and now I want to return the favour. Is that so wrong?" Reno hissed at the ex-Turk._

"_There is nothing you can do, Reno. He doesn't want anyone to know what happened to him and if you find out, it will do nothing but cause him more shame. Let it go and let him heal."_

Reno kept running the conversation over in his mind, trying to work out what he was missing. If shame was involved, then it wasn't too far a stretch to believe the head Turk had been raped or sexually assaulted in some way. The fact he'd been brought back naked, as Elena had already told them, certainly supported that theory. But the screaming still didn't fit in because if the Wutain could withstand torture without a sound, raping him wouldn't make him scream and certainly not for the length of time Elena had described. Also, rape was a risk that the Turks were well aware of, some of their former members having suffered through it at the hands of enemies when torture failed to break them. Tseng was the one who had taught Reno that if it happened, it was nothing to feel ashamed of. To the Wutain, it was just another kind of torture. The redhead was still pondering it all, ten minutes later when he stepped out into the kitchen area, heading straight for the coffee machine.

"Rufus wants to see you but first, we need to talk," Rude's voice rumbled, making Reno jump a little as he hadn't noticed his partner sitting quietly at the table. The redhead nodded, taking his cup over and sitting down.

"Okay, talk away," he murmured, sipping on his coffee as he watched Rude.

"Yesterday, after you and Rufus came back from Edge there was an incident. Tseng was in the President's office and fazed out in the middle of the conversation," Rude began, putting down his own cup and folding his arms over his chest. "It lasted long enough for Rufus to call me in a panic, saying that Tseng was sitting upright, his eyes closed and crying. He wouldn't respond to the President at all, even when he was shaken. By the time I got there, Tseng had recovered and left, dismissing the whole thing as him just being overtired and he's been in his room ever since."

"Fuck. I bet Rufus isn't taking that well," Reno muttered.

"He's taking it very badly. Rufus thinks that Tseng is slipping away and has demanded to know what exactly caused it. His patience is nearly non existent and he wants us to find out what happened." Rude picked up his coffee, taking another drink as he let Reno absorb all that he's said.

"I've been thinking about all of this and I've got some ideas but things still don't add up. Maybe I should just tell Rufus what I think and at least it might give him something to think about so he'll back off for awhile… or it might make him worse," Reno murmured.

"Don't think he could get much worse," Rude mumbled.

"Well, in that case, we got nothing to lose, partner," Reno said with a smirk. Rude nodded in agreement as both men stood and headed for the President's office.

***..***

Fifteen minutes later, Reno had told Rufus what he'd managed to put together himself. Rude watched the President as he mulled it all over, his face frowning as he seemed to be having the same trouble finding answers as Reno.

"Rude, you've been talking to Loz everyday since we brought them here. Has he said anything at all about that night to you?" Rufus asked.

"Just that 'mother' caused Tseng's pain," Rude answered, trying to ignore the look Reno was giving him. Finally, he turned towards his partner and asked, "What is it, Reno?"

"You like him, don't you?" the redhead asked, his usually lack of tact making a comeback at the worst possible moment. Rude sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"Answer the question, Rude. Are you emotionally attached to the oldest brother or not?" Rufus demanded, making Rude look up in surprise. He expected this shit from Reno, but not from the President. "We have enough secrets tearing us apart at the moment. I don't want any more," Rufus added in explanation.

"I like him, but nothing has happened between us. I'm not sure they even know anything about relationships. All we have been doing is talking," Rude responded, shuffling uncomfortably in his seat.

Rufus nodded, before saying, "Thank you, Rude. I appreciate your honesty." The dark Turk was surprised that the President accepted his feeling towards Loz so easily, but with Tseng being Rufus' major concern right now, he gathered that it was probably a case of timing more than the President really approving of anything. He looked over at Reno, only to have the redhead wink at him and he glared at his partner. The redhead may have, for once in his life, picked the perfect moment to blurt out Rude's personal life, but Rude knew once the mystery of Tseng had been solved, Reno's teasing would be unbearable.

"Getting back to the subject at hand, we are left with three major points to clarify. What was done to Tseng to make him scream, what exactly did Yazoo do to him to make him so unstable and are the two things one and the same or different events. Reno, Kadaj was the only other person there so I want you to question him and see what you can discover. For now, we will continue to keep this from Tseng until we know what we're dealing with," Rufus declared, determination shining from his eyes. "I will not lose him."

"I'll do my best but the little brat is difficult, to say the least," Reno muttered, standing up from his chair.

"For now, I want Kadaj to remain unharmed. If you can't get him to tell you anything and he continues to not co-operate with our investigation, then I will consider allowing a more forceful approach in the future," Rufus stated coldly before turning towards Rude. "As for you and Loz, he seems to be clear in this matter so you are welcome to continue cultivating a relationship with him, if you so desire. I want all three of them showered and in normal clothes by the end of the day so I will leave Loz as your responsibility. Reno, Kadaj is yours."

"What about Yazoo?" the redhead asked.

"Rude, do you think you could get him to shower and change?" the President asked.

"Yes. He's been co-operative, since Tseng visited him," Rude answered.

"Good. If you have any problems, come back and see me. Cloud seems to believe that with Jenova's influence gone, the three brothers should have a good chance at being rehabilitated back into the community, but I still have my doubts. Both of you keep that in mind when you are dealing with them and I want daily reports on their progress. Reno, I want to know immediately if Kadaj tells you anything of value. Are you both clear on what you need to do?"

Both Turks nodded, Rude following Reno out of the office as they both headed for the cells. "Wish me luck," the redhead muttered as he stopped outside to have a smoke first. Rude shook his head, feeling a little sorry for the redhead as he continued on to see Loz.

***..***

"Am I to be left out of meetings and my opinions disregarded now?" Tseng growled, making Rufus jump and spill his coffee over his desk.

"Fuck, Tseng!" he yelped, looking up at the Wutain who was glaring down at him. He hadn't even heard the man enter his office. "What are you talking about?"

"You just had a meeting with Rude and Reno. Why was I not included?" the head Turk asked, walking around the desk to stand next to Rufus' chair. "Have I been removed as leader of the Turks?"

"Of course not. You are over reacting, Tseng. After yesterday, I just assumed you needed extra rest and there was nothing important discussed in your absence. I can fill you in right now on what you missed," the President explained, managing to control the urge to flinch under Tseng's angry gaze. The Wutain just stared at him, minutes ticking by and Rufus began to twitch nervously. "Enough, Tseng. I am your employer, in case you have forgotten, and I do not appreciate your accusations or aggression."

"My apologies," the imposing man murmured, his words flat and unconvincing. He slowly walked back around the desk and sat down, his eyes never leaving the President. It was the first time Rufus had ever been afraid of his favourite Turk. Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself and started talking.

"We were discussing the brothers. They are all to be watched carefully with the aim of working out if they can ever be rehabilitated back into society with daily reports on their progress from whichever Turk is watching them. I assigned Reno to Kadaj and Rude to Loz and Yazoo. All three are to be showered and changed into normal clothes by the end of the day," the President listed out, glancing down at the mess on his desk.

"Why have I not been assigned a brother? It is only logical that we are assigned one each," Tseng asked.

"If I assigned you Yazoo, would he remain unharmed?" Rufus said, meeting Tseng's eyes.

"Of course. What makes you think he would not?"

"Your reaction to him in the cells, or have you forgotten the security cameras?" the President answered, enjoying the way the Wutain's eyes widened in surprise. It wasn't everyday a person managed to get one over on Tseng. "Did you honestly think I wouldn't try to work out what was affecting you when you volunteer so little information? You refuse to discuss what happened to you and it's affecting your behaviour and your work. I need you, Tseng. I will not lose you because you refuse to admit you need help."

"I do not need help!" Tseng yelled, standing from his chair so suddenly that Rufus flinched away from him. "You have no right to investigate me behind my back. If you need me and want me to remain loyal to you, you will back the fuck off, Rufus."

The President gaped at the head Turk, not believing his own ears. "Are you threatening to walk away from being a Turk rather than speak of what happened? Gaia be damned, Tseng! What did they do to you?"

"What I went through is private and none of your concern. I apologize if I have let things affect my behaviour, but you are wrong in relation to my work. All missions have been successfully carried out and all of the Remnants are alive and unharmed," Tseng stated flatly. Rufus looked away, hating to see the Wutain pull his emotional walls into place and lock him out. The closeness that had grown between them since his father's demise was slipping away and he could not allow it. Tseng was too essential to his own success for him to ever let him go. Luckily, he did know some of the head Turks weaknesses, especially when it came to Rufus.

"Tseng," he whispered, looking back over into dark, stormy eyes. "I am sorry. I thought that if I could find out what you went through, I would be able to help in some way. I couldn't just sit here and watch you fall apart. You've always been there for me and I wanted, for once, to do the same for you. If you feel so strongly about the issue, I will drop it and not ask you again." Putting on his best defeated expression, Rufus Shinra bowed his head, looking completely ashamed of his own actions.

Minutes ticked by in silence, making the President nervous that his ploy had failed. He almost sighed in relief when Tseng appeared beside him, running a hand through his hair in the same comforting way that he had when Rufus was just a boy. "I forgive you, Rufus," the Wutain murmured, his other hand tilting the blonde's face upwards as their eyes met. "You have my loyalty and my thanks for letting me deal with this my own way."

Rufus almost had to bite his tongue to stop himself smirking when Tseng fell for his act completely. He did allow himself to smile warmly up at the head Turk though, earning a small smile back that gave him a strange, warm feeling inside. Rufus honestly did care for Tseng, but it was as a treasured possession and he did not like others damaging his belongings. The ability to love had been taken from the President long ago and he had given up on ever recovering it.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" Rufus asked, closing his eyes and leaning his head into Tseng's hand as it continued to thread through his hair. He'd missed this… far more than he'd ever admit.

"Assign me the care of Yazoo," the Wutain said softly. The President nodded and was rewarded with a kiss on his forehead before Tseng turned and left his office. Once the door was closed, Rufus grinned and walked over to pour himself a drink to celebrate his success. _And father said acting lessons where a waste of money…_ All he had to do now was wait and see what Reno could get out of Kadaj.

***..***

Reno opened the door to Kadaj's cell, stepping inside only to be knocked off his feet by a small body launching into him. "Reno, you finally came back!" the youngest brother mumbled, his face pressed into the redhead's chest as he clung to the stunned Turk.

"Err… nice to see you too, Kadaj," Reno muttered, wincing as his back protested to the tackling. "You miss me that much, hey?"

Releasing him, Kadaj quickly stood up and backed away, a blush clear on his pale face. "Of course I didn't miss you. Why would I miss a stupid Turk like you?" he scoffed.

Reno chuckled at his denial and couldn't help but tease him, just a little bit more. "I heard you been asking for me." Standing up and spreading his arms wide, the red head grinned at the silver haired boy and added, "Well here I am. What do you want to do with me, brat?" The look Kadaj gave him in reply wiped the smile off his face instantly. _Nobody that cute should be able to pull off an expression that dirty, _Reno thought. "Okay, enough of that," he warned, frowning and trying to ignore the effect that one look had had on his body.

Kadaj pouted, moving to sit on the bed with his legs crossed. "You started it, Turk," he retorted. "If you're not here to play, what are you here for?"

"I need answers. Think you can do that for me?" Reno asked.

"Depends on the questions," Kadaj said, a small grin on his face.

The redhead moved to sit down on the bed beside the young man, turning to look at him as he began. "I need to know what happened to Tseng when he was your prisoner."

"You mean when mother played with him, don't you?" Kadaj said, his grin gone. Reno nodded and Kadaj couldn't hold his gaze, looking away and sighing. "Tseng caught mother's interest. No matter what we did to him, he wouldn't break and it frustrated her. She said that some humans couldn't be broken with pain, so she told us what to do and we simply followed her instructions."

"What did she tell you to do?" Reno asked, fisting his hands and digging his nails into his palm. He was worried that whatever the youth was going to say would make him lash out, and he had to control it and try to remember that Kadaj was just a puppet then.

"We stripped him and I pierced his shoulder with Souba, just below the shoulder bone. Then we tied him down and Yazoo cut his own hand, letting his blood pour into the wound. That was when Tseng started screaming. Once Yazoo's blood was in his veins, mother could cause him pain at will." Kadaj suddenly stopped, staring at Reno's hand and the redhead followed his gaze down. Blood was dripping out from between his fingers and he realized he must have squeezed so hard, his fingernails had pierced the skin. When he looked up again, Kadaj was backing away from him across the bed. _Shit, just when I'd got him talking…_

"You want to hurt me, don't you?" the youngest Remnant whispered, his eyes wide.

"No, I don't," Reno said with a sigh, opening his hand and trying to rub the blood off on his pants. "It just pisses me off, what happened to Tseng. I'm not going to do anything to you, I promise. Just please, tell me what else happened?"

Kadaj looked doubtful, leaning up against the top of the bed as far away from Reno as he could get. "There's not much more to tell. I left Yazoo with Tseng because all the screaming was giving me a headache. I don't know what he did to him after that. At the time, I really didn't care," Kadaj murmured, his big eyes watching the Turk intently. "Do you hate me now?"

Reno chewed on his lip, almost missing the last question from the remnant as he thought over what he'd been told. Looking up, his eyes met with Kadaj's and he held his gaze. "Honestly, I don't know how I feel about you," he muttered. "How do you feel about what you did, now that Jenova has left you?"

Kadaj eyes flicked away from him, staring at the wall of the cell as the young man thought over his answer. "It's strange. At the time, his pain made me feel good… happy even. Now, when I think back on it, it's not the same. It kind of makes me feel sick and I don't understand why."

"Looks like with her gone, you've finally discovered your conscious," the redhead said, a grin pulling at his lips. "Looks like Cloud was right. There is hope for you."

The youngest brother looked back at Reno, noticing the smile and seeming to relax a little. "I don't understand what a 'conscious' is or what you mean by 'hope' but as long as you don't hate me, I'm happy," he said, grinning at the Turk.

Reno couldn't help ruffling the young man's hair with his hand, relieved that Kadaj was showing normal human reactions to what had happened and that whatever had affected Tseng the worst, happened after the youngest remnant had left. "Kinda hard to hate you when you're so cute, brat," he chuckled, laughing out loud when Kadaj shrunk away from his touch and started bitching about Reno putting blood in his hair. "Don't panic. It's time for you to have a shower anyway and it'll wash right out."

"Shower? What's a shower, Reno?" Kadaj asked, stopping his flailing to look at the redhead.

"It's where you wash off all the dirt and bad smells, brat. Haven't you ever had a shower before?" Reno asked.

"Oh, you mean washing. We used to just wash in the lake. Is that the same as a shower?"

"A shower is way better. Nice and warm, and the water falls down on you like rain. Come on," the redhead said, standing up. "I'll take you there now. You'll love it." Smiling, the youngest brother jumped off the bed, failing to hide his excitement.

"Will you have a shower with me?" Kadaj asked, looking up at Reno with a hopeful expression.

"Maybe another time," the Turk said, chuckling to himself as he opened the door, holding Kadaj's hand and leading him down the hallway.

Opening the door to the shower room, Reno froze in his steps as he saw Rude, eyes closed as he was hugged by a very naked Loz, the oldest of the Remnants nuzzling the dark Turks neck. Rude's hands were around the other man's body, one resting on his back and the other one squeezing his ass. The two continued unaware of their spectators as Loz moved his kisses along Rude's jaw to capture his lips, kissing him deeply as he grinded against the fully dressed Turk. Reno was so busy staring, he'd forgotten Kadaj was beside him until the youngest brother rubbed up against his side and whispered in his ear, "Hot, isn't it? That's what I want to do with you," before biting his earlobe. Reno's yelp broke the silence causing Rude to jump away from Loz at the same time as the redhead flinched away from Kadaj.

Both Turks just looked at each other, Rude moving first as he realized Loz was just standing there, naked and grinning at his brother. Wrapping a towel around the shameless remnant, he averted his eyes from his partner as he grabbed Loz's arm and pulled him towards the lockers in the next room. Reno was left staring at the doors that Rude had exited through, still a little shocked at how hot his partner had looked with the oldest brother.

"Reno, can I have my shower now?" Kadaj asked from beside him and when the Turk turned to answer him, he found another naked remnant, smiling up at him innocently. _Goddess, give me strength…_ he thought to himself, rubbing a hand over his face.

***..***

Tseng entered the cell block just in time to find Rude shutting the door to Loz's cell. "I'll be handling Yazoo," Tseng informed him and the dark Turk just nodded, giving him a long look before turning and walking towards the exit. The Wutain was looking forward to the day his Turks stopped giving him those glances and went back to following his orders without doubt, as they had done before.

Tseng was still a little angry at Rufus for spying on him, but he understood that the President had reacted in the only way he knew how. The young man's intentions had been honorable, even if his actions weren't. Tseng was determined to prove to Rufus he could handle this situation professionally as he knew the President would be watching him while he was in the cell with Yazoo. The Wutain also was well aware that there were no security cameras in the showers or locker room.

Yazoo was standing on the far side of the cell when he entered, staring out the small window with a blank expression. The middle brother turned towards Tseng, a slight widening of his eyes the only reaction he showed at being faced with the Wutain again.

"The President wants you showered and changed into civilian clothes," the head Turk began, his voice even and calm. "I will be accompanying you."

"May I ask what being showered is?" Yazoo asked, slowly stepping closer to Tseng.

The head Turk lifted an eyebrow in disbelief, a little surprised the remnant didn't know. "Washing your body," he finally replied.

"That would be nice," the middle brother responded, a small smile pulling at the corner of his lips. Tseng looked the youth up and down, thinking over what he was about to do before motioning for him to walk out the door and down the hall. As they approached the entry to the showers, Reno and Kadaj came out, the youngest brother smiling up at Yazoo but saying nothing as he walked past. The redhead's eyes widened at seeing Tseng with the middle remnant, but he said nothing as well, nodding his head and following his charge. Once they'd walked through the door, the head Turk turned and clicked the lock on, walking past Yazoo to turn on one of the showers, making sure the temperature was suitable.

"Take off all of your clothes now," he ordered, turning back to stare at Yazoo. The young man kicked off his boots and removed his gloves quickly, slipping off his shoulder armor as well. Yazoo paused then, looking up at Tseng as if waiting for him to look away. The Wutain raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a grin that he didn't bother hiding. The middle brother slowly lifted his trembling hands, his eyes averted as he slowly pulled the zipper down, letting his top fall to the floor. Tseng's pulse increased as pale skin was revealed, the young man's skin luminous in the florescent light. Yazoo looked up, a blush across his cheeks as his hands rested on the waistband of his pants. The Wutain's gaze did not falter and eventually, the remnant looked away, turning so his back faced his jailer as he quickly slipped off his pants and covered his crotch with his hands before turning back.

"Get under the water," Tseng ordered, enjoying Yazoo's discomfort as he complied, walking towards the shower and tentatively stepping under the water. "That is soap in the holder near your shoulder. Rub it all over your body to remove the dirt," the Wutain continued, still not taking his eyes off the young man for a second. The middle brother's body looked unreal, every inch perfectly formed and proportionate, like an artwork brought to life.

"Why are you watching me like this?" Yazoo's voice asked softly, his eyes studying the soap as he rubbed it between his hands.

"You are a prisoner. It is my job to watch you," Tseng answered. "Don't flatter yourself into thinking it is anything more than that."

Yazoo didn't say anything else, his hands moving over his skin slowly. The Wutain noticed how the young man avoided his private areas, cleaning everything else and putting the soap back before rinsing off under the shower. Tseng stepped closer, his smirk wide as his eyes met the young remnant's. "You forgot to wash some areas, Yazoo. Why?" he asked, so close now that he could feel a light mist of water on his own skin from the shower.

"I… I want you to stop watching me," the young man murmured, still keeping his back towards the Turk.

"Why should I do what you ask? I remember asking you to stop, when I was your prisoner and you didn't. Why should I do for you, what you wouldn't do for me?" Tseng hissed, one hand coming up to rest on the back of Yazoo's neck. The urge to squeeze was strong but the Wutain controlled it, breathing in deep and regaining his control. The young man before him was visibly trembling now, his breaths coming quickly as his hands fisted at his sides.

Tseng moved his hand from the young man's skin, picking up the shampoo bottle and pouring some into his hands. He gently massaged his fingers through the remnants hair, taking the time to calm himself as Yazoo's body began to relax. After all, physiological torture was always more affective when one's prey thought they had escaped, only to discover they were doomed.

"Rinse your hair out under the water," he instructed, voice soft to rebuild the illusion of safety. Yazoo stepped under the water, letting it run over his face and bringing up his hands to thread through his hair, helping the suds to wash away. While Yazoo was busy, Tseng removed his jacket, throwing it to the side and rolling up his sleeves. Once the remnant was finished, he stepped back enough to clear his face from the spray, peering over his shoulder at the Turk.

"You missed some areas of your body, Yazoo, but don't worry," Tseng crooned, reaching up for the soap with one arm, while the other came to rest on the young man's hip. "I'll clean them for you." The Wutain felt the muscles under his hand tense at his words and smirked in satisfaction. Tseng released Yazoo's hip for a moment to soap up his hands, his eyes still locked onto the remnants.

"Please… I can do it. I… I am sorry I missed them," the young man whispered, stumbling over his words as his wide eyes pleaded with the Turk.

"Too late," Tseng growled. "Move out of the water and put your hands on the side wall." Yazoo complied, his eyes staring straight ahead at the tiles between his hands. "Good boy," the Turk murmured, one hand moving to slid over the curve of his backside, slowly massaging the soap over both pale cheeks. He placed the other on Yazoo's hip, moving it around to slide down the curve between the young man's leg and crotch.

The remnants skin was so soft, just as he remembered. Tseng could hear Yazoo's breath, soft pants escaping his lips as his body continued to tremble. The Turk's own body was reacting and he allowed it, enjoying the feel of his cock hardening as his hands began to move again. He wanted to feel more, enjoy the experience of playing the body before him, just as his body had been played.

The hand on Yazoo's backside moved to the middle, two fingers sliding down the cleft between pale cheeks to rub over the boy's entrance. The remnant gasped, a shiver travelling down his spine and Tseng growled before he could stop himself. The Turks other hand ghosted over Yazoo's balls, fingertips feather light as they teased for a moment before moving up to gently wrap around the young man's shaft.

"Already so hard, Yazoo. Does your mother know that your body is always this eager?" the Wutain purred, leaning over the boys back to nip his shoulder as his hands continued to move. "Maybe that's why she abandoned you."

"Fuck you," Yazoo spat. As soon as the words where uttered, Tseng slipped both his fingers into the young man's ass, enjoying the hiss of pain it caused. Increasing the speed of his other hand on Yazoo's cock, he chuckled as the body before him quickly relaxed, allowing his fingers to slide in and out smoothly.

"Not this time, Yazoo. This time, it is you who are fucked," the Turk whispered, slipping in a third finger without any resistance. Yazoo's hands where curled into fists against the wall, his head now resting on the tiles before him as he panted with his eyes squeezed shut. Tseng bit his lip, swallowing down a moan at the sight, his body aching with the need to sink into the remnants tight heat.

Yazoo's body began to writhe, pushing back against Tseng's fingers and then forward into his fist. "Please…," the remnant moaned as his need for release took over everything else.

"Please what, Yazoo? Do you want me to fuck you?" the Turk growled.

"Yes, oh Gaia yes. Please… please fuck me," the youth begged shamelessly.

Tseng's face was an expressionless mask as he moved his mouth next to the remnants ear. He waited until he felt Yazoo's muscles tighten, the remnants orgasm about to break and then he whispered, "I will never fuck a worthless whore like you."

***..***

Yazoo's eyes flew open, but it was too late, his body reaching its peak despite the distress that flooded his mind at Tseng's words. His legs gave way and he fell to the hard floor, curling up on himself as he tried to process what had just happened. The Turk had played his body, making it react as he wished and taking away his control, his pride and his dignity… just as Yazoo had done to him.

"Rinse off and get up," Tseng's cold voice instructed from somewhere behind him. Pushing up onto his hands and knees, he crawled under the water, flinching as the now cold droplets hit his skin. Grabbing onto the taps, he pulled himself upright, hunching over and wrapping his arms around his waist as he shuffled out of the shower cubicle. His arm was grabbed firmly as Tseng pulled him across the room and through another door.

"Your clothes are on the table. Put them on," the Turk's emotionless voice demanded and he complied, slipping on soft pants and a short sleeved shirt over still wet skin. Again his arm was grabbed, this time so he could be directed back to his cell. Once there he crawled onto his bed, curling up and staring blankly at the wall, his back to his tormentor. Finally, he heard the sounds of the door close, locks clicking into place and it was only then he let his tears fall.

**TBC**

...


	4. Influence

**Title - The Measure of a Man **

**Fandom – FFVII**

**Characters – Yazoo, Kadaj, Loz, Tseng, Reno, Rude, Rufus**

**Warnings this chapter – yaoi, swearing, alcohol, sex**

**Disclaimer – Don't own the boys, just playing with them**

**Note – Story begins immediately after Advent Children**

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_Thank you to violetsake and Natzilla for your reviews!_

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– **chapter 4**** – Influence –**

Rufus stared at the monitor before him, watching Yazoo's shoulders shake as the young man silently cried. Part of him was glad there were no camera's in the showers because he really didn't want to know what Tseng had done to the remnant. Whatever happened, he hoped it would be enough to ease the Wutain's pain and bring him back to the person he was before.

As he continued to watch, the young man's shoulders stilled and it looked as if he had drifted off to sleep. Hitting the key to turn off the video feed, the President closed his laptop and leaned back in his chair, shutting his eyes. Despite what everyone thought, Rufus did have a conscious and allowing Tseng to have free reign with the remnant left a sick feeling in his stomach. He swallowed it down, justifying it to himself. He needed Tseng, functional and unburdened by whatever Yazoo had done to him. Without the head Turk, Rufus would surely fail.

A knock on the door brought him out of his thoughts and he sat up, calling out for whoever it was to enter. Rufus couldn't help but stare at how disheveled the Turk looked, his pants and sleeves wet and crumpled, his hair untidy with some hanging down over his face. "Tseng?" he blurted, his voice showing his surprise.

"I wish to request permission to go to Edge, Sir. I have business I need to attend to that would require me to be gone until the day after tomorrow. Would you allow me the time off?" the Wutain asked, his eyes unusually bright and intense.

"I can allow that," Rufus replied, frowning back at the head Turk. "Is there anything I should be informed of before you go?"

"Nothing, Sir. I'm sure Rude will be able to take over the care of Yazoo while I'm gone," Tseng responded. Rufus noticed how he almost purred the remnants name. _Well, that's interesting_… the President mused.

"In that case, enjoy your time off, Tseng," Rufus murmured. Tseng nodded, turning and leaving his office without any further comment. The President smiled sadly after his favourite Turk, picking up his phone to call Rude and inform him that he'd be looking after the middle brother, once more.

***..***

Reno had seen Tseng come out of the cell block and watched the disheveled Turk go straight to Rufus' office. He'd gone outside for a smoke, considering going and checking on the middle brother himself. Reno was still debating what to do fifteen minutes later when Tseng emerged from the building, redressed and once again tidy, with a small bag in his hand. The Wutain nodded at him and continued down to the garage, climbing into the van and driving away.

The redhead gave in to his curiosity, jogging down the steps and into the cell block, heading straight to Yazoo's room. Opening the door, he found the middle brother curled up on the bed, sound asleep. Reno looked the young man over, seeing no visible injuries so he left, heading for the President's office. He found Rufus sitting with his back to his desk, staring out the large window on the back wall of his office.

"What do you want, Reno?" the blonde asked softly.

"I… um… where is Tseng going, Sir?" the redhead mumbled, shuffling his feet nervously.

"He's gone into Edge. Won't be back until the day after tomorrow," Rufus answered, turning his chair around to face Reno. "Is there something you wanted, Reno?"

"Honestly, Sir, I was worried. Tseng was all… well, not Tseng when he came back from the cell block and I thought that maybe…," the redhead stuttered, not quite knowing how to voice his concerns without insulting the head Turk.

"It's alright, Reno," the President interrupted with a small smile. "I understand what you're worried about and let me assure you, I am monitoring the situation closely. How did your talk with Kadaj go?"

"Great. Well, mostly great. He told me what made Tseng scream, but the noise gave him a headache, so he left him with Yazoo. After that, he has no idea what happened," Reno said, scratching his head distractedly. _Rufus is monitoring the situation? What situation?_

"Reno, please focus!" Rufus called. The redhead flinched, looking up at the President. "Tell me what he told you in more detail, please," the President muttered, tapping a pencil against his desk.

"Oh, sorry Sir. Well, apparently Jenova was interested in Tseng because he was so resistant to pain. She told Kadaj to stab him in the shoulder and then tie him down. Then she told Yazoo to cut himself and bleed into the wound. Somehow, that gave her the ability to hurt him. I figure it's kinda like being poisoned or something. Alien bitch's blood and all," Reno rattled off, his face still frowning.

"Well, that answers one question but how did Tseng recover from the poison?" Rufus mused.

"I can answer that, Sir," Rude's voice cut in from the open doorway, making both Reno and the President look towards him. "The effects seemed to wear off over time. I figure his body fought off the poison on its own. The wound was still septic though, so when we retrieved the 'holy water' from Aerith's church, I gave Tseng some and he washed the wound. It seems to have fixed the injury and it's healing now."

"Thank you both for your assistance in this matter," Rufus said, looking down at his hands before continuing. "From now on, the question of what else happened to Tseng will be dropped. You will concentrate on the remnants you have been assigned and helping them to fit in to normal society," Rufus ordered, fiddling with the pencil between his fingers.

"Just like that?" Reno asked, looking over at the President suspiciously. If there was one thing the redhead knew, it was that Rufus never let go of anything that tweaked his curiosity. His attachment to Tseng had always bordered on the unhealthy so there was no way he believed the blonde was letting this go.

"Yes, Reno. Just like that," Rufus replied, meeting the redhead's eyes with an intimidating glare. Reno looked away, shaking his head as he decided just to let it drop. If the President wanted to play this game on his own, then who was he to interfere? At least if Tseng found out, he'd be clear of the Wutain's ire.

"Sir, will Yazoo continue to be assigned to me or will Tseng be dealing with him when he gets back?" Rude asked, making the blonde turn towards him.

"That will be decided when Tseng returns. Now, if there's nothing else gentlemen," Rufus said, opening his laptop and dismissing both Turks.

Reno headed straight outside for a smoke, surprised when Rude followed him. "Weird eh partner?"

"He's up to something. There's no way he'd just drop this," Rude's deep voice replied and Reno turned and smiled at him.

"Exactly what I was thinking. This is all gonna blow up in our faces, isn't it?" Reno muttered, taking a drag on his smoke.

"Like always," Rude said before reaching over and stealing Reno's smoke, inhaling deeply as the redhead gaped at him. "Might as well enjoy life while it lasts," he said in way of explanation, a smirk on his face.

"Best idea I've heard all day. What say we go on a little double date? I could bring Kadaj over to Loz's cell for a visit," Reno suggested hopefully.

"What about Yazoo?" Rude asked, blowing a few smoke rings.

The redhead took another from his packet, lighting it up as he thought about the third brother. "Normally, I'd say bring him too, but I don't think even I'm stupid enough to mess with Tseng's little toy. Best we say clear of that fucking mess." Rude was silent for awhile, thinking it over while Reno prayed to the goddess that he'd agree.

"Why the hell not," he finally muttered and the redhead couldn't help but chuckle. Tseng was right… he was a bad influence on Rude.

***..***

Rufus was far from surprised when he saw Reno, a bottle of whiskey in hand, going into Kadaj's cell. When he led the boy out of his cell and into Loz's where Rude waited, he was a little taken aback. Rude had moved a table to the centre of the room and he and Loz sat on the bed, while Reno and Kadaj sat opposite on two chairs. The quiet Turk began pouring drinks as the redhead blabbered on to the two brothers about drinking and how people in the real world used alcohol to relax. The blonde couldn't help but chuckle at Reno's antics, knowing that if he went and interrupted their little party, the redhead would swear that they were simply teaching the brothers an important life lesson.

Instead of butting in, Rufus decided to let them be, as there was only one remnant that he was concerned with at the moment. With Tseng gone and both the other Turks busy, he had been given the perfect opportunity to question Yazoo himself and he would not pass up this opportunity. Leaving the monitor set on Loz's cell and hitting the record button, he stood and pulled on his jacket. Tomorrow he could enjoy the show of what went on with the other four. Tonight, Yazoo was all his.

When the President entered the cell block, the noise from Loz's cell had increased, thankfully covering any sound he would make entering the middle brother's cell. He unlocked the door, walking in to find the young man still curled up on his bed, eyes open but no reaction to his presence registering. Rufus shut the door behind him and pocketed the keys, noticing the untouched dinner still sitting on the table in the corner of the room.

"Yazoo?" the President called softly, walking over to thread his fingers through the middle brother's hair. "I am sorry for your pain." The boy's eyes did not move, so Rufus continued to caress his hair, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "You feel alone right now, but I want you to know that you are not. I am here for you and I will help you in any way I can." There was still no reaction from the young man, but Rufus would not be so easily dissuaded.

"You love him, don't you? You long for him to love you too but instead he hurt you… rejected you. I know how that feels because I loved a man who rejected me too. The man I loved chose hate over love. You and I are very much alike in that regard." Rufus felt Yazoo's head move into his touch, just the slightest bit, so he continued.

"I wish I could do something to ease your pain… to let you know you are not alone. You have to talk to me for me to be able to help though. You have to tell me what it is that keeps Tseng from seeing your love." Yazoo turned towards him, tears in his eyes as they peered into Rufus'. "I think he loves you too, in his own way. But whatever happened that day is keeping you apart, driving a wedge between you both that won't go away by itself."

"Rufus?" Yazoo whispered. The President smiled at the remnant, his hand still caressing silver locks.

"Yes, Yazoo?" the President responded.

"Would you… hold me?" Yazoo asked, his eyes pleading. Rufus lay down beside the young man, pulling him into his arms.

"Of course, little one. I will hold you as long as you need," the blonde answered, closing his eyes as Yazoo burrowed into his chest. Rufus wasn't lying when he'd told the remnant that he'd loved and lost but Yazoo's pain meant little to him. The President was here for one reason and one reason alone. He had to know what happened that day.

***..***

Rude watched Loz take a sip of the whiskey, the oldest brother's face twisting into a disgusted expression. He chuckled at the sight, Loz's eyes flicking towards him and taking on a determined expression before the remnant suddenly downed the rest of the glass in one gulp. As the young man coughed, Rude put an arm around him, patting his back and ignoring Reno, laughing from across the table.

"Whoa, dude! You gotta slow down and enjoy the taste!" Reno instructed, so focused on Loz's attempts to breathe that he didn't see his own remnant lifting a glass and doing the exact same thing. Rude shook his head as Kadaj spluttered, his face going red and his eyes wide as the redheaded Turk rubbed his back and began lecturing him on learning from other's mistakes.

"I'm sorry," Loz whispered hoarsely, looking at Rude with big puppy dog eyes, as if he expected to be punished. "I just wanted to do it like you and him."

"It takes practice, Loz. Reno and I have been drinking for many years. This isn't a competition and I would never think less of you for taking it slow," Rude murmured with a smile. Loz grinned back at him, nodding keenly as he held up his empty glass to be refilled.

By the time the brothers had finished their third drink, Rude and Reno where on to their sixth and all four men looked worse for wear. Loz was leaning heavily against Rude's shoulder, his breath ghosting over the dark Turk's neck gently. Rude still had one arm around the eldest brother, his hand rubbing slow circles over the remnants muscled back.

Looking across the table, Rude had a perfect view of the other two men, Reno having turned his chair to the side to face Kadaj. He watched as the smallest remnant climbed onto Reno's lap, the other two men's eyes locked together. Kadaj's face was flushed pink, his cotton pants slipping low on his hips as he straddled the redhead who was, for once, silent. Reno's hands came up to rest on the young man's bare hips, grasping the pale flesh and pulling Kadaj closer as he leant in to gently kiss the younger brother.

Rude would usually have looked away but the alcohol had dulled his mind, relaxing him to the point that he felt no discomfort in watching the two, their kiss deepening as Kadaj began moving his hips, writhing slowly on Reno's lap. His breath hitched as he felt lips nip his earlobe and he turned to find Loz only inches away.

"Watch them," the oldest remnant whispered, kissing him gently before moving his lips down the Turks jaw, nipping gently on his neck. Rude's hand that had been rubbing Loz's back slipped lower, grasping the oldest brother's firm ass and squeezing it as he turned back to watch Reno and Kadaj.

The youngest remnant was panting, the sound loud in the silent room as Reno devoured his neck. The redhead moved one hand up to undo the buttons on Kadaj's shirt, pushing the material off one shoulder as his lips moved down and along the newly revealed skin. Rude couldn't pull his eyes away as Reno continued, Loz apparently imitating the redhead's movements as he felt his own shirt being opened and eased back of his shoulders.

"Reno," Kadaj moaned as the redhead's lips found a nipple, suckling on it and making the youth's hands come up to grasp hold of Reno's head. The other shoulder of Kadaj's shirt slipped down as he arched into the touch, his head leaning back in a display that had Rude so hard that he had to turn away.

Loz had been watching too, his own breaths fast as his hand caressed Rude's muscled chest. He met the dark Turk's gaze with fire in his eyes and Rude growled as he pushed the oldest brother down onto his back, climbing up between the remnants legs and pushing the bottom of his shirt up. He let his lips investigate the curves and dips of the pale stomach before him, his tongue darting out to lick lightly over the tender skin. He could feel Loz's erection against his chest so he snaked a hand between them and began caressing it through soft cotton as his tongue continued upward, finding a nipple and biting it gently. Everything else in the room faded away as he became completely focused on the sound of Loz's voice, moaning his name.

***..***

"Rufus, he will never forgive me," Yazoo whispered, pulling back to look up at the President.

"He doesn't have to forgive you to love you, Yazoo," the blonde murmured, bringing up a hand to move a strand of hair from the remnants face. "Was what you did to him so unforgivable?"

"He seems to think so," Yahoo replied, rolling onto his back to stare up at the ceiling. "I don't understand humans at all." Rufus chuckled at the youth's words, getting a glare from the middle brother.

"You have to realize, you are a human now too, whether you like it or not. Tell me what happened and maybe I can explain to you why he is so angry," the President offered, rolling onto his back to join the remnant in staring at the roof. _Those workers from Edge did a crap job on the ceiling paint_, he mused, beginning to get impatient as he waited for the youth to respond.

"I'll tell you," Yazoo whispered, lifting one arm above his head and closing his eyes. "After mother was finished with Tseng, I watched him for a while. He was so beautiful, lying there asleep, that I reached over and touched his face. At first I was worried that mother wouldn't approve but she encouraged me, telling me that it was time I learnt other ways of playing with humans. She'd never given my anything before so I didn't want to disappoint her."

"Mother told me to be gentle so I ran my fingers over his chest, feeling the way it moved when he breathed and how soft his skin was. I noticed that whenever my fingers touched his nipples, his body would shiver a little so I keep touching them gently, watching as they hardened. I wanted to know how they felt against my tongue so I leant over and licked one. After a few more licks, Tseng started to make these strange little sounds… like little moans but different from what I've heard before. I thought I'd try sucking one of the little nubs and when I did, the sounds he made got louder. They made me feel excited and… hard," Yazoo stuttered, glancing over at Rufus.

"That's a normal reaction, Yazoo. Are you saying you'd never touched anyone sexually before?" Rufus asked. The youth looked away as he nodded. "Don't be embarrassed. Tseng is a very attractive man."

"He is," the remnant mumbled, looking back at the President as he continued. "I liked the way it made me feel when he moaned and I wanted him to do it more, so while I kept sucking, my fingers squeezed the other nipple. I must have done it too hard though because he woke up, struggling against the ropes and telling me to fuck off. I stood up, my hand still playing with his nipples but it wasn't the same with him glaring and calling me names, so I stopped."

"I wanted it to be like it had been when he was asleep, when his body responded to my touch and trembled. Mother offered to help as her essence was still strong enough in his veins for her to control his body. She said that she could make him want me like that, make his body yearn for me. I wanted it so much that I… I asked her to do it. Suddenly, Tseng's eyes widened and his breath became erratic, his body arching as he groaned, without me even touching him. It was so beautiful that I asked mother to keep doing it, to make him want me more than he wanted to live. He was still swearing, saying those horrible words he's so found of, but mother said if I helped and did what she said, he'd stop cursing and start begging for me to touch him. Just the thought of him begging..." Yazoo stopped, turning to look at Rufus whose own breath hitched a little. The youth's description was making the President aroused as he imagined his Turk, tied down and helpless, his back arching with need. "Was I so wrong to want that?" the remnant asked.

"No, not wrong at all, Yazoo. Tseng naked and begging would be quiet a sight," Rufus murmured huskily, swallowing as the youth smiled at him. "What did she tell you to do next?"

"She said that a man's penis was their weakest part, that touching it with my hand or mouth, like I had his nipple, would make him forget his anger. I wasn't so sure, but she promised that she would help too, make his reaction to what I did stronger so he couldn't resist. It was already hard, twitching against his stomach so I let my fingers slide down it, watching how he squeezed his eyes shut, trying so hard to ignore it. When my hand fell lower and I rolled his testicles in my fingers, Tseng moaned, his eyes suddenly wide. I knew then that mother was right, that I could make him want me."

"Seeing a drop of something on the head of his erection, I licked it off, wanting to taste what it was like. The skin there was so soft that I ran my tongue around it and back and fourth in the little split at the top. I liked the taste and the feel, so I just kept doing it and then Tseng's hips moved. He couldn't do much, tied down as he was, but his hips where lifting, as if he wanted to put it in my mouth, so I let my lips slip over the top, my tongue guiding it in as far as it would go. Looking up, I could see him watching me and he'd become really quiet and still. I started sucking on it, like I had with his nipple and he moaned my name. It made me so hot all over, Rufus, the way he said it. His hips began to move again, pushing his shaft in and back out of my mouth. I guessed he really liked the movement, so I started bobbing my head up and down, watching him and loving the way his mouth fell open as his breath sped up. Tseng's lips looked so soft and I kept thinking how nice they'd feel, wrapped around my erection like I was doing to him."

Rufus was spellbound by now, intently watching Yazoo as he told his story. The President hadn't been this turned on in a long time and as he listened, his eyes began to wonder over the youth's body before him, noticing that the remnant's cock mirrored his own as it tented his pants.

"Mother told me to stop then, saying I needed to take off my clothes and untie him. I was worried but she insisted that she had him under control, so I did as she asked. My hands were shaking so much and my own erection was so hard that it started to hurt a little. Mother said that I was being so good that I deserved a reward. I was about to ask her what my reward was, when Tseng rolled onto his hands and knees, reaching out and pulling my body closer. He started licking and sucking my penis, slowly at first as if savouring it and then faster, his head moving up and down. Rufus, it felt so good. I've never felt anything like it before," Yazoo whined, his hand snaking down to rub himself through his cotton pants as he bit his bottom lip.

"Yazoo," Rufus purred, moving his hand over to slowly cover the remnant's own. "Pull down your pants and let me do that for you." The youth's eyes widened a little and the blonde saw the flicker of fear that danced across them. "If it'll make you feel better, you can touch mine too," he added, giving a small smile and hoping the remnant would agree. Finally Yazoo nodded, pulling off his pants as Rufus did the same. Lying back down next to each other, the President was the first to move, putting his hand back on the youth's twitching cock. "It feels better when it's someone else's hand, doesn't it?" he whispered.

"Yes," Yazoo moaned, Rufus' hand already moving on his shaft, stroking it slowly. The remnant reached out, shyly curling his fingers around the President's erection and imitating the other man's moves.

"Tell me the rest… Yazoo," the blonde panted. "I want to hear… everything." The youth nodded, breathing in deep and closing his eyes as he tried to concentrate on his words, his hips moving in time with the blondes hand and his own.

"My whole body was so hot and I started to feel funny, like a string being pulled tight. Tseng pulled away and I… I didn't know what to do because I wanted more of that feeling, but Mother told me to breathe deep and be still, so I obeyed. Tseng sat up, putting his fingers in his mouth and… sucking on them, his eyes on me the whole time. Then… then he reached back behind himself and… fuck!" the youth groaned. Rufus grinned, squeezing the base of Yazoo's shaft to stop him from coming. The hand on his own cock stilled as Yazoo whimpered and the President leant over to kiss the remnant, their tongues sliding together slowly. Pulling back, Rufus looked into those unnatural eyes, the depth of his own need obvious.

"Once your story is finished, then you can come," the President whispered, his own command reminding him of a time he treasured, from so long ago. _Silver hair and cat like eyes… _Mentally shaking himself, Rufus concentrated on the youth before him. "Tell me what Tseng did… with his fingers."

"He put them inside… inside…," Yazoo stuttered, his words catching as Rufus began to slowly stroke his cock again while sucking on the fingers of his other hand. "I can't say it," the youth whispered, his blush returning as he stared at the blonde's fingers, now sliding out of Rufus' mouth.

"In here?" Rufus asked, a wet fingertip moving down to rub over the youth's entrance, the puckered skin twitching at his touch. "How did Tseng look, fucking himself with his own fingers?"

"He… he looked amazing… his head thrown back and moaning. I wanted to touch him but Mother wouldn't allow it. She made me wait so long but finally Tseng stopped. He lay down on his back, pulling his legs up to his chest and spreading them wide for me. I could see all of him, waiting for me…," Yazoo's voice stopped, a gasp escaping his lips as Rufus pushed a finger inside of him slowly. The remnants hand had fallen away from the blonde's shaft, and Rufus used the opportunity to move down his body, stopping to hover over the youth's twitching cock.

"Keep talking or I will stop," he commanded, bending down to take Yazoo's shaft into his mouth, sucking it slowly in time with his fingers movements. The remnant's hands moved to fist in Rufus' hair, pulling so tight that the blonde added a second finger, just for a little payback.

"I… I moved over to Tseng. He was… he was stroking his shaft… muttering, 'please, please fuck me,' over and over again. I pushed inside and… and… oh fuck! Rufus… please put more in. I need… need more," Yazoo moaned, his back arching as his hands fisted in the President's hair. Rufus let the boys cock go, sitting up as he added a third finger and watched the youth writhe beneath him.

"Do you still want more?" the President murmured, leaning up over the youth to kiss his lips again. "Tell me… my little one."

"Yes, I need more… please, fuck me. Show me how good it can feel," Yazoo whimpered, wrapping his arms around the President's shoulders as he pulled his legs up and opened them wide. "Fuck me… like I fucked him."

The blonde couldn't take anymore, pulling his fingers free and pushing into the remnant in a painfully slow movement that didn't cease until he was fully seated in the youth's body. "Is this… how you fucked him? Tell me, little one. Tell me… how you fucked Tseng."

"I pulled back slow… pushing back in and Tseng called my name. The sounds he was making… fuck… Rufus…," Yazoo groaned as the blonde matched his movements to the youth's words, stopping when the remnant stopped talking.

"I kept going… uhhh… yes, just like that. Slow… deep… and then he pulled me forward, kissing me and… I started to speed up." Yazoo moaned loudly, his nails digging into the President's back. "Tseng was begging me… to go faster… harder. He wanted me to… fuck, Rufus don't stop. Like this… just like this… yes!"

The President was so close already, his eyes staring down as he watched Yazoo's beautiful face tense up in bliss. He threw his head back, arching as he came hard, pounding into the pale body of the remnant with everything he had. Finally, the spasms abated and he fell onto Yazoo's trembling form, lifting his head to stare into the youth's slit eyes. Hands cupped his face and the remnant leant up to kiss his lips gently. "Thank you, Rufus," Yazoo gasped, a small smile on his face.

"My pleasure, little one," the President responded, his own grin wide, pulling out of the youth's body slowly and laying beside him. His hand came up to thread through Yazoo's hair and minutes passed in silence as they both caught their breath, Rufus staring at the contrast of the silver strands as they moved across his fingers.

"You love him, don't you?" the remnant asked, pulling the blondes eyes back up to his face.

"Tseng? He is very attractive but our relationship is not like that," Rufus answered. Yazoo shook his head and the President lifted an eyebrow in question. "If not Tseng, who are you talking about?"

"Sephiroth," the youth replied. Rufus was stunned silent, his body moving on automatic as he stood up, grabbing his pants off the floor. "Rufus, I wanted you to know that he remembers you. I could see it in his mind, when he joined with Kadaj. One of the last things he thought of, before he faded away again, was you."

Rufus froze in place, his pants still clasped in his hand as his body began to tremble. He didn't want to hear it, didn't want to think about what he'd lost. _It must be a lie_, his mind suggested, but even as he thought it, he knew it couldn't be. Nobody had known about him and Sephiroth… not even Tseng. Looking over at Yazoo, he could only see understanding in the youth's eyes and it stung his heart.

"If he'd loved me, he would have stayed," the President whispered, watching as the remnant stood and walked over to him.

"He did love you but it's impossible to resist Mother's commands. No matter how I feel about Tseng, she wouldn't let me go after him when we found them gone the next morning. She said that I belonged to her and no one else, just like Sephiroth. I tried to fight her in here," he said, pointing at his head sadly. "But it was no use. Nothing can stop her once she's inside of you. After all, look at Tseng. He couldn't resist when she made him want me, even though he hates me." A tear fell down Yazoo's cheek and Rufus pulled him into his arms, comforting the youth as his mind ticked over. Jenova hadn't wanted him with Sephiroth, just as she didn't want Yazoo with Tseng. This time, the bitch would not get what she wanted.

"What happened when Tseng came to take you to shower, Yazoo? Something must have happened to make you think he hates you and if I'm to understand, I have to know everything," Rufus crooned, rubbing the youth's back.

"He started touching me, like you did but he wouldn't let me touch him. It felt so good and I was hoping that he'd forgiven me but then, just when I was about to climax, he said… he said he'd never fuck a useless whore like me," the remnant whispered into his chest, refusing to look up at him. Rufus frowned, thinking over what Yazoo had said.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, little one. Do not despair though. There are many ways Tseng could have hurt you, but he chose to do it with pleasure. That means something, means a part of him wanted to touch you and see you like that. His words where just a way of justifying it to himself, hurting you as he had been hurt. I don't think that Tseng hates you. I think he believes he _should_ hate you but the attraction he still feels confuses him and that's what makes him so angry." Rufus replied, smiling down at the hopeful face of the youth. "Let me talk to him and make him understand that it's okay to forgive you and have feelings for you. In the meantime, I think it's better if I take care of you, instead of him. Maybe some time away from you will cool his temper."

Yazoo smiled up at him, nodding before hugging him once more. _Well, that's Yazoo convinced, now all I have to do is convince Tseng_, Rufus thought to himself. Remembering how the Wutain had reacted the last time he'd brought up the subject of Yazoo, the President began to worry. Convincing Tseng was going to take more than just a few well placed words.

**TBC**

...


	5. Brotherly Love

**Title - The Measure of a Man **

**Fandom – FFVII**

**Characters – Yazoo, Kadaj, Loz, Tseng, Reno, Rude, Rufus**

**Warnings this chapter – yaoi, swearing, incest, sex, angst.**

**Disclaimer – Don't own the boys, just playing with them**

**Note – Story begins immediately after Advent Children**

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**A huge thank you to SoClearICanSeeForever for your awesome review… I'm blushing now! LOL!**

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– **chapter 5 – Brotherly Love –**

Reno woke up the next morning and opened his eyes to find Kadaj curled up to his chest. His head was pounding but it wasn't the worst of his worries. That honor went to the mystery of why Rude was lying on the other side, curled up with Loz. "Fuck," he blurted, looking around in a panic as he realized they were in his room, in the main section of the compound, instead of the cell block where they were suppose to be.

"Shut up, Reno," Rude muttered, rolling over to snuggle closer to the oldest remnant. Unfortunately, his partner's movement causes the blanket to slip down and show, quiet clearly, that Rude was naked. The redhead stared at the other Turk's backside, his brain trying to work out what was going on and failing dismally. Lifting up the sheet, he discovered that he and Kadaj were also naked and he whimpered, already assuming Loz was too.

"Rude? Rude! Wake the fuck up!" he called, panic taking over every other thought.

"What do you want, Reno?" Rude growled rolling back over to glare at the redhead. "And what the hell are you doing in my bed?"

"This is my bed, you asshole!" Reno hissed.

Rude's eyes widened, his brain finally waking up as he looked around the room. "Why am I naked?" he asked, grabbing the end of the sheet to lift it, only to have Reno stop him.

"Not a good idea, partner. We're all naked," Reno muttered, biting his lip as Kadaj cuddled closer to him in his slumber. "Oh Gaia, how the fuck did this happen?"

"I think I may be able to help you out with an answer, gentlemen," the President's voice responded from the doorway, making both Turks turn and stare at him wide eyed. "I would prefer it if you both put some clothes on before we discuss it though. I'll be in the kitchen when you're ready." Reno watched the grinning Rufus turn and disappear out of sight, still staring at the doorway long after he'd gone.

***..***

Rufus poured Yazoo a glass of juice, watching as the middle remnant gracefully ate his toast. The youth was glancing around the kitchen, taking in every detail of the room he'd never seen before. The President had decided to bring him upstairs after finding the other two brothers asleep in bed with the two Turks. He figured that it wasn't fair to leave one in the cells when the others weren't there and it did make a good opportunity to test how the brother's handled being in a more normal atmosphere.

Rude and Reno entered the kitchen, both stopping to stare at the remnant sitting at the kitchen table. Yazoo looked up at them, taking in their expressions and glancing over at Rufus worriedly. "Rufus, may I go and see my brothers?" he asked.

"Yes, Yazoo. They're down the hall, second door on your left," Rufus answered, watching as the middle remnant gracefully stood and walked down the hall. Out of all three brothers, it was Yazoo who had inherited Sephiroth's grace and Rufus had found his eyes drawn to him all morning.

"Sir?" Reno asked, interrupting the President's musings. Rufus turned back to look over both the Turks, who were now sitting across from him at the table.

"Eager to discuss last nights adventures, are we?" the blonde asked with a raised eyebrow. Rude coughed, looking away as Reno shifted nervously in his seat. Rufus decided that it was time to lay his cards on the table. "Last night, I checked the video feed of our guest's cells before I went to bed. I was surprised to see you both in Loz's cell, sharing a bottle of whiskey with him and Kadaj. For the purpose of seeing how the two handled their first experience with alcohol, I set the computer to record the footage before going to bed. I haven't had the chance to watch it yet, but as soon as we finish here, I plan to. If you're both having trouble recalling how you all ended up naked in Reno's bed, you are free to join me."

Both Turks were gaping at him, their faces frozen in panic and Rufus had to bite his tongue to keep himself from laughing at them. "I'm sure when Tseng comes home tomorrow, he'll be very keen to watch it too," the blonde added, watching as Rude covered his face with both hands and Reno averted his eyes, staring a hole into the top of the table. Manipulating these two was getting far too easy. "Of course, if you'd rather I didn't watch it or show it to Tseng, there is an alternative available."

Reno's eyes flicked upwards, narrowing as they met with the President's. "You blackmailing us, Sir?" he asked, squeaking as his partner kicked him under the table.

"We'll take the alternative, Sir," Rude quickly said, glaring at Reno who, for once, kept quite.

"I'm glad we understand each other gentlemen. Tomorrow, I need to discuss something with Tseng. He is unwilling to have this conversation with me, so I will be taking measures to ensure his attention. Plainly put, I will be locking myself in one of the cells with him," the President explained.

"Are you sure that's wise, Mr President? Tseng may lose his temper if cornered," Rude responded.

"Even if he controls himself with you, once he gets out and finds out we helped you, he's gonna kill us," Reno added, pulling out a smoke and fiddling with it nervously.

"I have faith that Tseng will not harm me and, if we do this right, he will never know that you two were involved. I will simply leave the keys in the outside lock when I open the cell, and since the doors are auto-locking, all I have to do is close it behind us. You two just have to stay out of the cell block and keep our guest up here and entertained for an hour. After that, one of you will come down and let us out."

"You can rely on us," Rude responded, Reno only nodding his own consent.

"Thank you, gentlemen. Now, I have paperwork to do so you'll have to excuse me. Enjoy your breakfast," the President said, standing and walking down the hall and into his office. He closed the door, settling behind his desk and opening his laptop. _Time for a little entertainment_, he thought to himself, finding the recorded file and pressing the play button.

***..***

Yazoo closed the door of Reno's room, walking to the bottom of the bed and crawling up between his two siblings. It had been nearly a week since he'd seen them, except for passing Kadaj outside of the showers, and the middle brother had missed them terribly. Lying on his stomach on top of the blankets, he looked from one to the other, finally deciding to cuddle Kadaj first. The blanket was down around his little brother's hips, allowing him to wrap one arm around his thin waist while he pressed his body into Kadaj's back. The smallest remnant made a small, contented noise, pushing back into the warm body behind him and making Yazoo smile_. He's always so cuddly in the mornings_, Yazoo thought, pressing his face into the youth's silver hair and breathing in deep.

"What , Reno?" Kadaj mumbled sleepily, causing the middle brother to chuckle and hold him closer.

"Not Reno. It's me, Yazoo," he purred into his little brother's ear. The body in his arms turned suddenly, Kadaj's face lighting up in recognition.

"Yazoo!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms around his brother and squeezing him tight. "I've missed you."

"And I've missed you too, little brother," Yazoo whispered, sighing happily. Suddenly, he felt another set of arms from behind, wrap around both he and Kadaj.

"Yaz!" Loz exclaimed, nuzzling into his neck. "I've missed you more than Daj has."

Yazoo chuckled again, happily squashed between his two brothers. "I've missed you too, big brother," he sighed, closing his eyes and enjoying the feel and smell of them both.

"You're so smart, Yaz. We did what you said and it worked. Rude is mine, Reno is Daj's and finally, we're out of those horrible cells," Loz murmured, kissing the middle remnants neck softly and making Yazoo shiver. "Thank you, brother."

"You're welcome, Loz. Humans are predictable when it comes to their hearts. Remember though, no matter what, you can't let them know we can still talk to each other in our minds. They have to think that we're completely normal humans if you want to keep them, okay?" Yazoo whispered, rolling onto his back while his two brothers snuggled against either side of him. "Did the alcohol affect either of you at all?"

"Didn't do anything to me," Kadaj murmured, while Loz shook his head. "I liked how it made Reno, though. He gets really horny when he drinks." Yazoo and Loz both laughed, causing the smallest remnant to grin back at them.

"Makes Rude horny too," Loz added, still chuckling. "Maybe it makes all humans like that."

"It does seem to," Yazoo added thoughtfully. "Maybe I should just get Tseng drunk."

"Maybe you should just give up on the asshole and go after Rufus instead. You did let him fuck you last night and I could feel how much you enjoyed it," Kadaj suggested, sitting up to look down at him. "Rufus is the one in charge and he doesn't say mean things that make you cry."

"You could feel how much I enjoyed it? I thought we agreed to stay out of each others minds when we're having sex with someone, Kadaj," Yazoo scolded, frowning up at the smallest remnant. "You shouldn't have been snooping."

"Sorry, Yazoo. Reno was telling this really boring story and I was just going to have a little peak and then stop. When I looked in your mind though, you where telling Rufus what you did to Tseng and Rufus was sucking on you… gods, the President really is good at sucking cock," Kadaj said dreamily, making Yazoo chuckle at his reaction.

"Reno's very good at it too, Daj. He made you come so quickly the first time he did it to you," Loz added, making the youngest blush.

"I only came so fast because Yazoo's thoughts had me so worked up," Kadaj retorted, glaring at the elder remnant.

"Don't fight, brothers. You both have the Turk you wanted and they will look after you now. As for me, you already know how I fell about Tseng and I'm not ready to give up on him yet. I do like Rufus a lot too, though. I wonder if I could have them both?" Yazoo mused.

"Don't think Tseng is the kind to share, brother," Loz said thoughtfully, his hand ghosting down over Yazoo's stomach and slipping up under the bottom of his shirt. "If you get him, I don't think he'd even share you with us."

"That's what I'm worried about," Kadaj added, moving up nibble on Yazoo's ear.

"Brothers…," Yazoo moaned softly, closing his eyes as Loz began to torment one of his nipples. "You both have Reno and Rude now. You don't need me anymore."

"Yes we do," Loz whispered before kissing Yazoo gently, the kiss deepening as Kadaj began biting on Yazoo's neck. Finally, Loz pulled back to look seriously at his middle sibling. "Why can't we just all be together?"

"Human's aren't like us, Loz. They pair up and stay with just one person usually," Yazoo whispered, his arm around Kadaj moving to pull the youngest closer. "Loz… Daj. You both have to stop this. You know we can't do it now. Reno and Rude could come back at any moment and if they catch us together, they might reject you both."

"I doubt it," Kadaj murmured, finally stopping his assault on Yazoo's neck. "You should have seen them last night, brother."

"When Daj was playing with Reno, Rude couldn't take his eyes off them. He got hard so quick," Loz added. As he spoke his hand moved down Yazoo's chest and slipped under the waistband of his pants, wrapping around the middle brother's cock. "Let me show you what they looked like."

Yazoo was about to tell Loz to stop, when suddenly his mind was full of images of Kadaj, naked and riding Reno's cock while the redhead bucked up beneath him. He could see Rude off to the side too, staring at them both while his cock was being stroked by a hand that he assumed was Loz's. The whole scene was playing out on the bed they now lay on, making Yazoo wish he'd been here last night.

"Loz…," Yazoo gasped, feeling the eldest brother's hand moving on his shaft. "That's… cheating." His only reply from Loz was a chuckle before he felt his pants pulled down and a warm mouth replace the hand. The images finally faded and Yazoo opened his eyes, looking over at Kadaj who was now kneeling beside him.

"You love it when we cheat, Yaz," the youngest purred, stroking his own erection while he watched Loz swallow Yazoo eagerly. "And Loz never could resist tasting you. I've got something for you too, brother."

Kadaj began kissing him, and again images filled his mind. This time they were of Loz, lying back on the bed in the cell while Rude swallowed his cock. The middle remnant moaned, the sound swallowed by Kadaj's mouth. The way it made him feel to see Rude do to Loz, what Loz was doing to him right now, was almost unbearably good.

"You see, brother? That was before we even got them upstairs. Can you see my Reno?" Kadaj whispered against his lips. The image turned and Yazoo could see Reno watching Rude and Loz, the redhead's eyes glazed as he sat naked, stroking his own cock. "I love Reno like that… shameless and so needy. This is what it feels like when he pushes inside of me." Yazoo's could suddenly feel Reno, pushing into him in an agonisingly slow thrust and he whimpered, arching his back. "They may not be willing to admit it, but they loved to watch each other having sex. I bet we can even get them to fuck each other, in time," Kadaj whispered in his ear.

"Loz," Yazoo moaned softly, his hand fisting in his elder brother's hair. "St… stop. Don't wanna come like this," he whispered, breathing deeply to regain some control when Loz paused and looked up at him.

"How do you want to come, Yazoo?" Loz asked, glancing over at Kadaj who was still stroking his own cock, bright eyes shining.

"I've missed you both so much that I want us to be one again," Yazoo began, his hand moving to stop the smallest remnant's self pleasuring. Kadaj pouted at being interrupted, causing Yazoo to smile up at him. "Please, Daj. Let me take you while Loz takes me. It may be the last time I can join you two like this and I want it to be special." Kadaj nodded his agreement, kissing Yazoo deeply before they moved into place.

***..***

Rude and Reno sat at the kitchen table talking after Rufus had left, trying to piece together what had happened the night before. Both remembered a little more now that they were properly awake but neither where keen on describing the images out loud.

"Well, we know that… things happened in the cell and then we brought them up to my room," Reno began, his face red as his mind showed him flashes of exactly what he'd seen and done. "And then more things happened…."

"Do you think they hate us now?" Rude asked, his hands grasping each other nervously.

"I don't know, partner. I hope not. Look, maybe we should just go and talk to them, explain that we all had too much to drink and sometimes, people do things that they wouldn't usually do when alcohol is involved," Reno answered, chewing on a fingernail.

"Damn it, Reno. We're supposed to show them the right way to act, not the wrong way," Rude growled, thumping a fist down on the table. "And now Rufus has a video of it all and we're stuck going against Tseng…"

"Yeah, I know. We've stuffed up in the past, but this one is definitely one of our more spectacular fuck ups," Reno muttered. "I still think our best bet is to talk to them and find out how much they remember. Maybe if we explain things and apologize…"

"They might forgive us?" Rude asked hopefully.

"Yeah, they might," Reno responded, standing up. Rude followed him down the hall, both stopping in front of the redhead's bedroom to gather their courage. Reno put a hand on the doorknob and was about to turn the handle when a loud moan from inside made him stop. Looking back towards Rude, he could tell his partner heard it too by the look on his face.

"Open the door quietly, Reno," Rude whispered. Reno nodded at him, slowly turning the handle and pushing the door open.

***..***

Yazoo could barely breathe. The duel sensations assaulting his body were so overwhelming that he couldn't stop the loud moan that escaped his lips. He'd been able to keep quiet up to that point, knowing that he and his brothers couldn't afford to be caught like this, but the feelings of Kadaj's ass squeezing his cock and Loz, thrusting into him from behind were just too intense.

Once he'd made that sound, both his brothers also let go and the room was full of their groans and gasps. Yazoo never could resist the sounds of his siblings in ecstasy and as his orgasm began to peak, he opened his eyes only to find Reno and Rude staring towards him, their eyes wide as they stood frozen in the doorway. The remnant tried to speak, to warn his brothers, but it was too late. He squeezed his eyes shut as Kadaj called out his name and climaxed, the youngest brother milking his own from him in a painfully strong orgasm that ripped through his whole body. His face was pulled into a brutal kiss by Kadaj as he fought for air, Loz still pounding into him until finally, the oldest brother found his own bliss.

"Yazoo," Loz purred in his ear, his weight heavy on Yazoo's back. Yazoo was finally able to pull up from the kiss and he looked down at Kadaj, his distress clear.

"Brother, what's wrong," Kadaj asked, his own smile disappearing. Instead of answering, Yazoo looked back up towards the door and Kadaj followed his gaze curiously. Loz must have looked up as well, because he heard his older sibling swear, quickly rolling off of him. Yazoo averted his eyes, pulling out of Kadaj and rolling to the side as the youngest remnant remained frozen, staring at the two Turks.

Yazoo kept his eyes down, trying to reassure both his siblings through their mental link. Loz's mind was rambling back at him, the eldest remnant in a state of panic as he stared at Rude, the Turk he'd chosen as his. Kadaj's mind was completely silent and his reaction worried Yazoo most of all.

"What the fuck!" Reno suddenly blurted, making Yazoo glance up from under his bangs to see the redhead take a step forward and then stop. His mouth was opening and closing as he seemed to be trying to say more that he couldn't get out. Yazoo heard Kadaj whimper Reno's name, fear the only emotion he could feel coming from his little brother's mind.

Rude's hand appeared on the redhead's shoulder, clasping it tightly as his deep voice declared, "This is our fault, Reno." Those words struck Yazoo like a cyclone, his brain swirling in a current of ideas that quickly supplied him with the perfect solution to this mess. He quickly sent his brother's a mental rundown of what to do, Loz responding instantly in agreement but Kadaj was still silent. Yazoo turned towards his youngest brother and watched as he pulled his eyes away from Reno to look up at him. The middle brother didn't have to read the youngest's mind to know what he thought. Kadaj was terrified of losing Reno, his feelings for the Turk already too strong.

Yazoo began sending thoughts at him again, explaining that if the Turk's knew they had always been intimate like this, they would reject them completely. Humans didn't accept brothers having sex. To them it was disgusting, an unforgivable sin that they would be ostracized for. The only chance to get out of this was to let Reno and Rude blame themselves for letting things get out of hand the night before. They would think they'd given Kadaj and Loz the idea that this was acceptable behaviour and would forgive them, maybe giving them a lecture on the subject, but not deserting them, as Mother had. Besides, he'd already made Rufus think that he'd been innocent before Tseng and if he was caught lying, the President would never help him ensnare the Wutain.

***..***

Reno looked down at his feet, hearing Rude's words and sighing as he saw the truth in them. He'd sat with Kadaj and watched his partner have sex with Loz. Rude had done the same, watching him and Kadaj. It seemed the two had remembered at least that much and thought that it was okay to take the next step, having sex with each other… or with their other brother, in this particular case. _Creative little shits_, Reno thought to himself, running a hand over his eyes.

"Okay, we all need to talk about this… now," the redhead muttered, looking up and meeting Kadaj's worried eyes. "Brat, I need to explain some things to you. Loz, go with Rude."

"What about Yazoo?" Rude asked, glancing towards the third brother who was still averting his eyes.

"I'll talk to Yazoo," Rufus murmured from behind Reno, making the redhead jump and grasp his chest in shock.

"Fuck! I… uh, I mean, Mr President. What are you doing here?" Reno blurted.

"Helping you clean up your messes, apparently," Rufus replied flatly, holding out his hand to Yazoo who was already climbing off the bed and walking towards him. "Rude and Reno, Tseng is to never, under any circumstance, find out about this. Make sure they understand why," he added, taking the middle remnants hand and walking towards his office.

Rude walked out towards his own bedroom with Loz trailing behind and Reno closed the door behind them, turning towards the bed to find Kadaj sitting on top of the sheets, naked and peering at him guiltily. "First, you're putting on some clothes. I can't think with you like that," Reno mumbled, heading over to his cupboard to begin searching for something that would vaguely fit the little remnant.

He never saw the sly grin Kadaj directed at his back.

***..***

Tseng sat staring out the window, a steaming mug of tea warming his hands. He'd lied to Rufus when he'd told him that he was going to Egde, instead driving to his secret sanctuary. The head Turk had purchased the little cabin years ago, before the fall of the Shinra Empire, when his bank account had been overflowing with funds that he didn't need. It had been Rude that had given him the idea, the quiet Turk having purchased his own apartment in Midgar that he escaped to on his days off. Tseng had longed for something similar but had wanted a place far away from the stench and pollution of Midgar. The cabin was perfect, only a couple of hours away from the city but far enough that he was surrounded by nature and clean air. It was where he came to think, to wind down or just hide. Today he was doing a little of all three.

Yazoo was driving him to distraction and he knew if he'd stayed near the remnant, he would have ended up doing something he would regret later. Instead he'd come here, trying to sort through the mess his mind had become. The very fact the remnant had such power over his thoughts angered him, made him want to drive back and put a bullet between those beautiful eyes. Only problem was, he knew he'd never go through with it.

He was attracted to Yazoo, so much so that he couldn't even look at the youth without being overcome by the desire to touch and taste. It was wrong… so wrong that every time it happened, it made him hate himself. The middle brother had turned him into a whore when he'd been the remnants' prisoner, making his body react without his consent. He could remember it all, everything he'd done, despite the foggy mist that accompanied every memory. Jenova's control had left him in a drugged like state, unable to stop himself from giving into lust and need, but the sadistic bitch had made sure that none of it would ever be forgotten.

Tseng could remember the feel of Yazoo's mouth around his shaft; how amazing it had felt to be on his knees before the beautiful youth, tasting the remnants cock eagerly and lastly, and most humiliating of all, how he'd laid on his back and spread himself wide, begging to be fucked by the silver haired youth. Even now the memories made him hard, his body reacting instantly despite his disgust. The worst part was he couldn't blame Jenova anymore, the monster's influence long gone from his mind.

He should hate the boy, but he didn't. His body should cringe at the thought of Yazoo touching him, but it wouldn't. Every minute he spent near the beautiful youth made him want him more and it was driving Tseng into despair. The anger keep boiling up, frustration making him unbalanced to the point that everyone around him noticed. Rude, Rufus and even Reno had noticed, all three men seemingly losing their respect for him, even though they didn't know the details of what had occurred.

Out of all of his co-workers, Rufus' respect hurt the most to lose. He'd loved the Shinra heir for years, burying his feelings and pretending he didn't care. Rufus was so far above him, a young man of power and position that he would die for in a heart beat. Instead of letting the blonde know how he felt, he'd dedicated his life to him, knowing that a Turk could never be good enough to stand beside the President as an equal. Long ago he'd accepted that fact, but the love he felt had kept him by Rufus' side, serving as his protector and ensuring that no-one ever harmed him. It all added an extra sting to his shame, making him feel as if he was betraying the blonde by wanting another.

Sighing, Tseng took another sip on his tea, pausing to breathe in the sweet smell of mint that steamed out of the cup. The argument he'd had with Rufus flittered through his mind, making him frown out the window at the evergreens that dotted the landscape. The President had been worried about him, digging around and trying to find out what had occurred between him and Yazoo that night. Tseng would kill to protect that secret, to ensure that Rufus never discovered what had occurred. The Wutain may have threatened to leave the President but it'd been an empty threat, used only in desperation and panic.

At the end of the argument, when the blonde had closed his eyes and leaned into his touch, Tseng had come so close to snapping. His whole body had trembled with the urge to grab the President, throw him over his desk and fuck his brains out. Instead he'd kissed his forehead, leaving the room before he did anything they'd both regret. Rufus cared for him but he knew it wasn't in the same way he cared for the blonde. The President didn't love him or yearn for his touch and if the youth ever found out how Tseng really felt about him, the Wutain was sure he'd be totally rejected, losing his job and never seeing Rufus again.

The whole incident had left him in a state of panic and he'd decided to take action, to end Yazoo's interest in him, once and for all. Tseng's intent had been to make the remnant hate him, knowing that if Yazoo reached out to him, he'd never be able to refuse and would end up betraying Rufus. If he hurt him enough, the youth would despise him and the temptation would be removed. Unfortunately, uttering those words as Yazoo had climaxed had hurt Tseng as well, the lie burning in his chest as it had slipped past his lips.

It shouldn't have hurt to say them. The remnant was his enemy, Jenova's influence gone or not, and Rufus was suppose to be the one he loved and served. Somehow, in some twisted, fucked up way, the Wutain had ended up in love with them both and he hated himself for it.

Standing from the chair by the window, Tseng walked into the kitchen to begin making his evening meal. Tomorrow he would be returning to Healin Lodge and somehow, he would have to hold himself together while being so close to both the men who held his heart. Unfortunately, he already knew he would get no rest tonight.

**TBC**

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	6. Confrontation

**Title - The Measure of a Man **

**Fandom – FFVII**

**Characters – Yazoo, Kadaj, Loz, Tseng, Reno, Rude, Rufus**

**Warnings this chapter – yaoi, swearing, sex, angst.**

**Disclaimer – Don't own the boys, just playing with them**

**Note – Story begins immediately after Advent Children**

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_A big thankyou and hugs to voiletsake, Natzilla (you spoil me!) and SoClearICanSeeForever (here it is!) for your reviews and continued support!_

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**- chapter 6 – confrontation -**

Rufus led Yazoo into his office, closing and locking the door behind him before turning and looking at the middle brother with a grin. "Yazoo, how long have you been fucking your brothers?" The look he got in return was priceless and he wished that he had a security camera in here to capture the moment.

"I… that was the first time, Rufus," Yazoo responded, his eyes falling to the floor in a gesture that was supposed to scream innocence, but the President knew better.

"Okay, that may work on Rude and Reno, but it's not going to work on me, little one. There's no way that was the first time for the three of you," Rufus responded, resisting the temptation to roll his eyes. "Why did you lie to me and tell me Tseng was your first?" Yazoo looked up, frowning as Rufus watched him. The President could almost see the cogs turning in the youth's head.

"I didn't lie, Rufus," Yazoo responded, chewing his bottom lip nervously.

"Yes you did. I'm not angry, I just want to know why. Please Yazoo, you insult my intelligence by keeping up this act with me. You wanted Tseng, so you asked Jenova to make him want you too. I understand that, but I don't understand why you thought you had to put on the innocent act with me. What is it you're so afraid of?" Rufus insisted, walking over to sit down on the couch.

"I… I didn't…," Yazoo began before the President interrupted him.

"This is your one chance, Yazoo. I have a recording of your brothers with my Turks from last night and it is obvious that they are experienced sexually. It is also clear that is wasn't the first time they have been naked and commiting sexual acts in each others presence. I think I can assume that you joined them in previous… sexual experimentation? Admit to me what you're so afraid of and I'll give you another chance. Keep lying and I'll put you and your dear brothers back in your cells, permanently." Both men looked at each other, the President holding the youth's gaze.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Yazoo looked away. "It wasn't a complete lie. Tseng was my first, apart from Loz and Kadaj," he replied. "Normal humans don't accept brothers being intimate and we knew if anyone found out, we'd be abandoned again… or worse."

"Yes, normal humans don't accept that kind of thing but it's not like you three were raised by a normal human," Rufus began, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair. "I have no intention of abandoning any of you, Yazoo."

"Really?" the remnant blurted, taking a step closer to the President.

"Yes, really. I am aware of the fact that you were all raised by Jenova and I did expect there to be complications because of that. I take it she encouraged you three to play together?"

"Mother said that nobody else was good enough. She said that we'd never find love or acceptance with anyone else," Yazoo whispered, his hands grasping each other as his eyes darted around nervously. Rufus took pity on the boy, raising an arm and gesturing for him to come closer. "You… you're not disgusted?" Yazoo asked as he slowly stepped closer.

"No, I'm not," the President said with a smile, taking the youth's hand and pulling him down beside him on the sofa. "I wouldn't suggest telling Reno and Rude though. I'm not sure either would react so well."

"You're not going to tell them?" Yazoo asked, surprise clear on his face.

"No, I'm not. I would suggest not letting Tseng find out either. He can be… well, old fashioned when it comes to morals and such. It would just give him another reason to be difficult and he's difficult enough already."

"I think you like difficult men, Rufus," Yazoo said, finally finding his smile.

"You may have a point there, little one," Rufus chuckled, pulling the remnant in for a quick kiss. "But you have to remember, I wasn't raised by a _normal_ human either."

***..***

Dinner was an awkward event, all six men eating together in silence. Reno was still in shock from this morning's surprises, the redhead unusually quiet as he ate automatically, his eyes constantly drawn to Kadaj who was sitting across from him, poking at his food and looking bored. Loz on the other hand, was eating so fast that Reno was surprised he didn't choke. Rude had cooked their meal and it was as if the elder brother was trying to show his appreciation by shoving as much in his mouth as he could.

Down the other end of the table, Rufus ate with his usual grace, slowly savoring each bite as Yazoo imitated him. The middle brother seemed to have become attached to the President and Reno didn't even want to think about how Tseng would react to that when he came back tomorrow. As far as the Wutain knew, the remnants were still locked safely in their cells and the redhead was sure he was going to explode when he found them up in their living quarters.

"Sir?" Rude began, looking down the table at the President. "I wanted to ask where the brothers will be sleeping tonight." Reno looked up at Rude before glancing back to Rufus, curious as to how Rufus would respond.

"Good question, Rude. They can stay in the spare bedroom. It can be locked from the outside and has four beds, if I remember correctly," the blonde answered, putting his fork down and looking over at Yazoo.

"Um, do you think that's such a good idea? Considering what happened this morning and all?" Reno asked, nervously shifting in his seat. It was going to be years before he managed to get the image of the remnants together out of his head and it disturbed him that his libido didn't seem to be bothered by the incestuous side of it.

"I have faith that Yazoo understands why they shouldn't have sex anymore. Do you understand Kadaj, Loz?" Rufus asked, looking from one to the other.

"Yes, Rufus," Kadaj answered, rolling his eyes. Loz just nodded, glancing over at Rude.

"See, Reno? No problem at all," Rufus answered, his grin lopsided as his eyes returned to Yazoo once more. Reno just stared, feeling suddenly left out of the loop. _What the hell is going on with the President? _the redhead thought, frowning as he returned his own gaze to the youngest brother. Kadaj was already looking his way and when their eyes met, the youth licked his lips, smirking at Reno's startled reaction.

"I think I'm gonna turn in early," Reno muttered, stabbing a roast potato with his fork. His headache from this morning was returning with a vengeance.

"First, you and Rude will have to put your charges to bed. Kadaj and Loz can use your bathroom to have their showers. I'm sure they can manage to wash themselves now," Rufus instructed. "Can you, Yazoo?"

"Yes, Rufus. I believe I can manage that on my own now," Yazoo purred, smiling over the table at the blonde.

"Good. You can use my bathroom," the President responded, his grin twisting into a smirk. "Any questions, gentlemen?"

Reno just shook his head as Rude murmured a no from beside him. The redhead watched as Rufus stood, Yazoo immediately standing as well. "Tseng will be back tomorrow, early if his past actions are any indication. I think it would be wise for us all to get an early night. Tomorrow should be quiet eventful." The President then walked towards his bedroom with Yazoo giving a quick look to Kadaj and Loz before following.

"Eventful is an understatement," Reno muttered, pushing his plate away. The redhead wasn't looking forward to the Wutain's return.

***..***

Tseng stepped out of the van, glancing up towards the living quarters with a raised eyebrow. He could hear sounds of squealing floating down from an open window and he suddenly had the horrible feeling that something was going on that he really didn't want to know about. Coming back early usually meant finding Reno doing something he shouldn't be doing. Sighing, he grabbed his bag from the back seat and locked the doors, walking towards the front stairs with only the moonlight guiding his way.

Opening the front door quietly, the sounds increased and suddenly he heard Rude's voice call out, "Reno! Kill it and get him dressed now!" _Kill it and get him dressed?_ Tseng mused, both eyebrows going up this time. The temptation to turn back around and leave was strong but Tseng resisted, taking a deep breath and slowly walking down the hall.

Without warning, a completely naked Kadaj darted out of Reno's room, running smack into the Wutain and bouncing back to fall on his ass on the floor. Tseng wished he'd listened to his inner voice and just left.

"Reno!" he bellowed, causing a sudden silence to fall over the house. Minutes ticked by while Tseng stared at the youth, frozen in shock on the floor in front of him, until finally a red clump of wet hair poked out the bedroom door.

"Boss?" Reno asked meekly, throwing a towel on the naked remnant. "I can explain this."

"Then do so," Tseng growled, his patience wearing thin already.

"Well, Kadaj was having a shower and this spider crawled in the window and decided to join him. Apparently, he isn't too fond of spiders and he freaked out," Reno explained, taking a step out of the bedroom. Tseng was relieved to find the redhead was fully dressed, although his clothes were soaked through. "I tried to get the spider out but it ran towards Daj and he bolted out here, into you."

Tseng stared at Reno as if the Turk had just sprouted wings. "Why is he up here?" he finally managed to ask.

"President's orders, Sir," Reno replied, reaching down to pull Kadaj upright and push the boy back into his room. Tseng's eyes narrowed dangerously and the redhead began to pale under his gaze, swallowing nervously.

"Where is Rufus?" Tseng growled, barely containing himself.

"Ah… um… he's in his room, I think," Reno mumbled, biting his bottom lip.

Tseng turned away, approaching Rufus' room and ignoring the sounds of people whispering and running around behind him. It was definitely time he and Rufus had a talk.

***..***

Yazoo arched into Rufus' mouth, his hands fisting in the silk sheets of the President's bed. Rufus hummed around his cock, making him moan out the blonde's name when suddenly, a loud knock on the door interrupted their play. The middle brother whimpered when his shaft was released, opening his eyes to find blue ones staring down at him.

"Don't move," Rufus purred, leaning down to kiss him before climbing off the bed. The President walked towards the door, Yazoo watching his bare skin glisten in the moonlight that was shining in through the open window.

"What is it?" the blonde called out through the door, his voice edged with his annoyance.

"_It_ is Tseng, Rufus," a deep voice growled back. Yazoo was off the bed in a heart beat, stopping in the middle of the room as he realized he had nowhere to run.

"The bathroom," the President hissed, quickly grabbing his own pants off the floor and pulling them on. Yazoo quickly went into the President's bathroom, pulling on his own clean pants and shirt, before moving back over to the partway open door to listen.

"You're back early," Rufus commented, standing in the doorway to his room, stopping Tseng from entering.

"Yes I am. Why is Kadaj out of his cell?" Tseng began. "And where are Loz and Yazoo?"

"I decided that they will be sleeping in the spare room from now on. Loz is with Rude, I believe having his shower," Rufus answered flatly.

"And Yazoo?"

"He's in my shower," Rufus replied, sounding bored. "Is your interrogation over now, Tseng, because I'd like to go to bed."

"With Yazoo?" Tseng voice drawled. Yazoo could see the muscles of Rufus' back tense from across the room.

"No, Tseng. Not with Yazoo. Is there something you want to say to me?" Rufus retorted.

"There are many things I'd like to say to you right now, Mr President," Tseng voice coldly replied. Yazoo bit his lip, his heart beat increasing as the silence in the room continued for far too long. The blonde hadn't moved from the doorway, both men seemingly just standing there and staring at each other.

"Fine, Tseng. Then we will talk. I will be out in a few minutes," Rufus suddenly retorted, slamming the door in the Turks face. Yazoo didn't move, unsure of what to do as he watched Rufus, standing and staring at the closed door.

"Yazoo, come here," the blonde whispered, holding out his hand while his eyes gazed at where Tseng had been, moments before. The middle brother slowly walked out of the bathroom towards him, putting his hand gently in Rufus'. "You must go and join your brothers now," he said flatly.

"Rufus… I… I'm sorry," Yazoo murmured softly. The President turned towards him, smiling lopsidedly.

"You've nothing to apologize for, little one. This is long overdue anyway and there's no time like the present," Rufus replied, pulling Yazoo into a quick hug. "Don't worry yourself." Yazoo nodded, standing back as the blonde retrieved a clean shirt from his cupboard, slipping it on and buttoning it up. "Come, I'll take you to them now."

***..***

Rufus led Yazoo out of his room still holding his hand, walking into the kitchen to find Rude and Reno sitting at the dinner table looking like two men awaiting their execution. Tseng stood against one wall, glaring at both Turks until he looked up at the blonde's entrance. Rufus saw the Wutain's eyes glance down, seeing their joined hands, and his eyes darkened even more.

"Reno, Rude. Please take Yazoo to his brothers. You are to watch over them until I return," the President said softly, releasing the middle brother's hand.

"Return from where, Sir?" Reno asked, looking up at him.

"Tseng and I need to talk. We will be going to the cell block as I need to show him something," Rufus replied, ignoring the way the redhead's eyes widened.

"Now?" Reno blurted.

"Yes, Reno. Now," the President replied, turning his gaze towards Tseng. "Or is that not suitable for you, Tseng?" The Wutain didn't reply, walking past Rufus and out the front door.

"Sir, this is madness. You can't do it now with Tseng like this," Rude interjected.

"It's alright, Rude. I appreciate you're concern but I will be fine," Rufus replied, turning and walking down the hall and out the front door. As it closed behind him, the blonde hands began to tremble so he shoved them in his pockets, looking down to see Tseng entering the cellblock. _I hope I will be fine,_ he thought to himself, pushing his legs into action.

***..***

Tseng was leaning against the wall in the hallway of the cellblock when Rufus entered, the blonde's expression clearly showing the worry he was feeling. The Wutain had the sudden urge to reassure the President but he swallowed it down, his anger reminding him that Rufus had gone behind his back, in more ways than one. He'd given the remnants free reign of the house, treating them as equals despite what they'd done to Tseng and Elena. The blonde even had Yazoo showering in his private bathroom and had been holding the youth's hand when they entered the kitchen… and Tseng was not even thinking about what the moan he thought he heard through Rufus' door meant. The fact it had all occurred in only one day stung him more than he'd like to admit. _Do I mean so little to you, Rufus?_ he thought, wishing he had the courage to say it out loud.

The blonde didn't met his eyes, instead going over to the nearest cell and using the keys to unlock it, pushing it open and standing back. "Please, Tseng," he said softly, motioning in the door.

The Wutain paused for a moment before pushing off the wall and entering, standing in the centre of the room and looking out the small window. He heard the door being pulled closed and turned to find Rufus standing right behind him. "I'm here, now what is it that you had to show me?" the Wutain asked coldly.

"Nothing. We need to talk and I thought it would be more private here," the blonde said, meeting his eyes and not backing down. The fact the blonde never backed down was one of the things Tseng had always admired about him. Even when the President was only a teenager, he would still hold his ground against others twice his size.

"Yes, we do," Tseng said flatly. "What happened while I was gone? It's only been one day and suddenly they're up living amongst us. I'm trying to understand, Rufus, but I'm finding it difficult."

"They are following every order given to them, eager to learn and showing no signs of aggression. I decided there was no point keeping them down here when we could start training them to live as normal civilians," the President replied, his eyes darting away to the far wall.

"Eager to learn? And what exactly were you teaching Yazoo in your room tonight?" Tseng retorted, glaring at the President. "Don't even try to deny it, Rufus. I heard him moaning your name and saw you two holding hands… what, is he your boyfriend now? I have to say that I am sorely disappointed in you, Rufus. I thought you were above thinking with your dick."

Rufus gaze turned back towards the Wutain, blue eyes wide as the President's temper flared. "I am not thinking with my dick, Turk, and Yazoo is not my boyfriend," he flatly replied.

Tseng stepped closer, grasping the blonde's shirt with one hand and pulling their faces close. "Not your boyfriend… does that mean he's just another fuck to you?" the Wutain growled, his eyes burning angrily. "Do you not remember who he is and what he has done? Or do I mean so little to you now that what he did can be forgiven, just so you can get laid?"

"That's not true and you know it, Tseng! You are _my_ Turk and I hold you above everyone else but I can't make all my decisions based on what's best for you. They were under the control of Jenova when they did all those things… puppets to her will but now they're free. I have to be unbiased and decide on the facts of the case. I can't make decisions based on revenge or anger… that's what father used to do and that's why Shinra failed the first time!" the blonde explained, his eyes pleading for acceptance that Tseng just couldn't give him. The Wutain's hand dropped away from Rufus' shirt, his eyes widening as he finally understood that he really was just another servant to the President. _Your Turk…Is that all I've ever been?_

"Rufus, don't do this. I can't… I can't accept it. I'm warning you, if you insist on having them live with us, if you won't listen to anything I have to say anymore… than I…," Tseng's voice broke and he looked away, taking a breath to try and steady his rising emotions. "If you insist on doing this I will never forgive you. I will resign as your Turk and leave."

"You would leave me over this?" Rufus spat, the blonde's anger erupting. "You'll never forgive me? Does that mean you're going to molest me in the shower and call me names too? Tell me, Tseng, did doing that to Yazoo take your shame away? Did it make you feel good to hurt someone who just happens to be stupid enough to love you?" Rufus retorted, grabbing the Wutain's arm and yanking him back to face him. "I will not be pushed around and manipulated by you threatening to leave me all the time!"

"Love me?" Tseng blurted, staring at Rufus as if the blonde had lost his mind. "You don't do that to someone you're suppose to love. That remnant doesn't understand the meaning of the word!"

"Exactly! He doesn't understand love. He feels it, but doesn't know what he's supposed to do. Think about it, Tseng. Yazoo only had Jenova to teach him about life and all she taught him was how to kill and cause pain. Then suddenly you turn up and he can't stop looking at you, fascinated by this weird emotion that you cause inside of him. That bitch knows he's falling in love with you, so she plays with the both of you, telling him what to do and he does it like he always has, like they all do when under her control. If Sephiroth couldn't resist her, what makes you think Yazoo could?"

"This isn't about Sephiroth, Rufus," Tseng growled. "Saving Yazoo will not bring him back to you."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Rufus whispered, staring at the Wutain.

"I know about you and Sephiroth. I know that you were together when Jenova took him over and he deserted you. I know you loved him, Rufus," Tseng muttered, sitting down on the bed and looking away from the President.

"But I… you can't…," Rufus stuttered.

"For Gaia's sake, you honestly think I didn't know? My whole life, ever since we met, there has been nothing but you! I know everything about you. What you like, what you hate, all your secrets… gods, I even know about all those nights you snuck out to go to that fucking whore house under the plate!" Tseng spat, his temper rising with his words. "I live my life for you alone but you never even notice I'm in the fucking room until you need something. You'll take that remnant, prostitutes... anyone but me!" The Wutain stopped, realizing what he'd blurted out in anger and his face paled.

"You… I'm your world?" Rufus stuttered, walking over to stand in front of the Turk. "Tseng, do you mean you… love me?" Tseng stayed silent, pulling his hands up over his face. _Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck…_

Tseng felt hands on his, pulling gently and he let them pull his own away from his face. Glancing up, he found the blonde kneeling on the floor in front of him, only centimeters away and their eyes met. "Tseng, why didn't you tell me? I thought that you…," Rufus began, his eyes searching the Wutains.

"It doesn't matter," the Turk interrupted. "Just forget what I said. I'll leave and you can have Yazoo," Tseng mumbled flatly. The blonde's hands cupped his face and the Wutain found he couldn't pull away. "Please, Rufus. Don't…" His words were cut off by soft lips, the President kissing him gently and Tseng was helpless to stop him. Their mouths moved together, lips parting and tongues dancing as the Turk drowned in his emotions, finally having a taste of what he'd wanted for so long. He wrapped his arms around Rufus' waist, lifting the blonde up onto his lap and pulling their bodies close.

***..***

"Holy fucking shit!" Reno exclaimed, causing a chorus of shhh sounds to fill the room. The remnants where sitting down together with Reno and Rude standing behind them, all watching the video feed on Rufus' laptop. "Hey, don't fucking shush me!" the redhead complained. "My brain is breaking after hearing all of that."

"Reno, your brain was broken to begin with, so just shut up so we can hear!" Kadaj hissed, not taking his eyes of the screen. Yazoo moved his hand over to squeeze his little brother's, silently thanking him for trying to keep the redhead quiet.

"They're not talking right now! To busy shoving their tongues down each other's throats," Reno retorted, pouting at the youngest remnant.

"I still want to hear," Yazoo murmured, sucking his bottom lip between his teeth as Tseng's began to unbutton Rufus' shirt on the screen before them, the Wutain's lips moving down the President's neck slowly.

"Spying on them like this… it's just wrong," Reno's voice insisted.

"It was your idea, Reno," Rude replied.

"Only wanted to watch to make sure Tseng didn't kill Rufus," the redhead mumbled. "We should stop now that we know the President is safe."

"Yeah, we should," Rude agreed. Kadaj's hand squeezed Yazoo's and then was gone. There was the sound of movement around the middle brother, but Yazoo didn't look up to see what was going on, his mind totally focused on the sight of Tseng's lips, moving down to torment one of Rufus' nipples. The President groaned and arched into his touch, his hands grasping the Wutain's dark hair. Yazoo reached out for Kadaj again, his hand only finding an empty chair and he suddenly looked around, finding himself alone in Rufus' office.

Sighing, he turned back to the screen once more. They looked perfect together, black and white, darkness and light, moving together so gracefully as if they had been created for each other. Tseng was so beautiful, his love for the President clear on his face as he worshipped the body before him. Rufus' expression was completely open, no mask protecting the emotions that played across his handsome features. The blonde looked so young and vulnerable, completely submissive to Tseng as he murmured the Wutain's name over and over.

Rufus was never like that with him. The President was always in control, dominating Yazoo and telling him what to do. Rufus had promised to talk to Tseng for him, to make Tseng understand that the remnant loved the Wutain, but instead the President was taking the Turk _he_ loved for himself. Yazoo's arousal disappeared. An all consuming anger, laced with the pain of betrayed, took its place with a ferocity that left the remnant slamming the monitor before him closed with a crack of broken plastic. He loved Tseng and while he was attracted to Rufus as well, he couldn't stand to lose them both to each other.

Standing up, Yazoo began picking things up and throwing them, the sudden feelings too much for the youth to control. _Rufus is mine and Tseng is supposed to be mine too!_ his mind screamed. _Now they have each other they'll never want me. I'll be all alone, deserted and rejected again, just like mother!_ Suddenly the remnant stopped, breathing hard as his eyes flittered over the mess of Rufus' office. _No, not like this! I can't hurt them..._ Yazoo put his hands on his head, fisting them in his hair as he shook his head, trying to get the sudden urge to kill out of his head. _I won't hurt Rufus or Tseng… I won't be that person… I'm not mother's puppet anymore!_

Suddenly he heard footsteps approaching from the hall and Yazoo panicked, looking around for a way to escape. Turning to see the open window, he stepped over to it quickly, opening the latch and climbing out, jumping down the short drop to the ground and taking off at a run. He didn't know where he was going or what he was going to do… all he knew was that he had to get away, for everyone's sake.

**TBC**

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_**Extra note**__ – Updates will be slower from now on, as I've posted all I have already written in advance. I plan on getting this done quickly though, so hopefully (crosses fingers and pets Yazoo muse) the next will be in no more than a week and the rest at weekly intervals if not sooner. Wish me luck and say a prayer to the remnant's god… although Jenova may not listen… LOL!_


	7. Consequences

**Title - The Measure of a Man **

**Fandom – FFVII**

**Characters – Yazoo, Kadaj, Loz, Tseng, Reno, Rude, Rufus**

**Warnings this chapter – yaoi, swearing, angst, sex**

**Disclaimer – Don't own the boys, just playing with them**

**Note – Story begins immediately after Advent Children**

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Thank you to vIoLeT bUtTeRfLy 90 for your review!

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– **chapter 7 – Consequences –**

"But Reno! It's so cold in here. Can't you stay, just until I go to sleep?" Kadaj pleaded, directing wide eyes at the Turk. Reno swallowed, trying to resist the urge to climb under the sheets and gather the youth up in his arms.

"Kadaj, I want to stay but Tseng is back and I don't want to piss him off… again," Reno explained, one hand playing with his ponytail nervously. The redhead looked over at the door, wishing the other two would hurry up. Rude was escorting Loz to the bathroom and Reno didn't know how much longer he could resist Kadaj's pleas without his partner to back him up.

"But Tseng is with Rufus, Reno. I only want you to lie down and hold me," the youngest whimpered, sitting up to intertwine his fingers with the redhead's. Reno turned around, opening his mouth to argue, but as soon as his eyes met Kadaj's, he sighed in defeat.

"Just until Rude and Loz get back, okay?" Reno whispered, letting the youth pull him onto the bed. Five minutes later, the redhead had forgotten why he wasn't supposed to be doing this. They were laying side by side, their arms wrapped around each other as they kissed. It was different from any other kiss Reno had shared with the feisty remnant, slow and comfortable, and to the redhead it was his favourite so far. Pulling back, Reno looked into Kadaj's eyes, one hand coming up to cup the side of the youth's face.

"Gods you're beautiful," he whispered. There was so much more he wanted to say, words that stuck in his throat and refused to be uttered, so instead Reno just smiled and rubbed their noses together.

"Thank you, Reno," the remnant replied softly, grinning at him adorably. "I like it when you kiss me like that." Reno was about to tell the youth that he liked it too, but before he could get a word out, Kadaj's smile disappeared, a blankness falling over his eyes that frightened Reno. The sound of breaking glass in the distance shattered the silence of the room but the redhead was too concerned about the youngest brother to focus on it.

"Kadaj? Kadaj!" Reno called, sitting up and grabbing the youth's shoulders. "What's wrong?"

"Yazoo… Yazoo no!" Kadaj suddenly yelled, jerking out of Reno's hold and standing up. He ran for the door as Reno stumbled off the bed after him, still calling his name. The redhead reached the hallway just in time to see Loz bolt past with Rude right behind him so he followed, his mind spinning with worry. They all ended up in the President's office, Kadaj and Loz over at the open window, calling out for their brother. The room looked like a tornado had gone through it, broken glass and paper strewn everywhere. "What the fuck is going on?" Reno blurted, looking from Rude to the remnants with his eyes wide. "And where is Yazoo?"

***..***

Rufus groaned when Tseng bit down on his nipple, his hands pulling the Wutain's hair roughly. The Turk's tongue soothed the blonde's abused nub, humming as his hands began to undo the President's pants. "Tseng… not here," Rufus attempted to order, his voice coming out more like a plea as he tried to push the older man away halfheartedly. Rufus' eyes flicked over to a small hole in the far wall, knowing that the security camera hid within it and hoping that nobody was watching. _Except maybe Yazoo_, the perverted voice in the back of his mind whispered, causing his hips to push forward and make a mockery of his demand.

"Commando, Rufus? Surprising…," the Wutain purred, ignoring the blonde's request to stop. Tseng wrapped his fingers around Rufus' shaft, squeezing gently and making the President suddenly forget about the camera, about Yazoo, about everything else but the beautiful man before him with his hand on his cock.

"Tseng, don't… don't keep it still," the blonde whimpered, wriggling his hips again as he tried to get some friction. The Turk looked up, smiling before capturing the blonde's lips in a heated kiss, his tongue dominating the younger man's mouth easily. Rufus was powerless to do anything but surrender his control, his whole body yearning for the Wutain's hand to start moving instead of continuing its teasing, light pressure.

Suddenly there was frantic knocking on the cell door, Reno's voice calling out their names. "Fuck, you have to be joking!" Rufus gasped out. Tseng chuckled softly, giving the blonde's cock a firm squeeze and making his hips jerk up into the Turk's hand. Rufus bit his lip hard, holding back a moan that nearly escaped as he glared down at his tormentor. The Wutain just smiled back at him with a devious glint in his eye and the President whimpered again.

"What is it, Reno?" Tseng called, his hand finally beginning to stroke Rufus' cock, a thumb teasing the slit on every upward pass. The blonde closed his eyes and moaned loudly before he could stop himself, his face blushing red. _Damn you, Tseng_, he thought, indignation and embarrassment igniting his temper. He opened his eyes, intending to tell the Wutain off, but when his eyes met his Turk's, the words died on his lips.

"I… um… I mean, there's an emergency and you both have to come out of there now!" Reno called, making Rufus glance towards the door.

"F…five minutes, Reno," Rufus gasped, his eyes turning back to meet Tseng's as the head Turk's hand began to speed up on his cock.

"You ain't gonna wanna wait five minutes, Sir," Reno's voice retorted, making Tseng's hand suddenly pause.

"Gods be damned, don't you dare stop!" Rufus hissed softly, his hips jerking up into the Turk's motionless fist. "Please, Tseng!"

"We'll be right there, Reno," the Wutain called out, grinning as his hand began moving once more, stroking perfectly as the President writhed and moaned in his lap. The redhead swore, so loud that Rufus suddenly realised how clearly Reno must be able to hear him, before his footsteps retreated down the hall.

"Bastard… you did that… on purpose," the blonde stuttered out, not willing to admit how much he'd liked it or how shocked he was by Tseng's perverted actions.

"How could I resist, Rufus? I love you like this… so eager, begging and moaning, just from my touch," Tseng purred, his eyes never leaving the blonde's. "Show me how much you want me… come for me now and later I'll fuck you so hard. You'd like that, wouldn't you? Like me to bend you over your desk and thrust inside your tight ass… make you scream so loud that everyone knows what I'm doing to you." The blonde groaned loudly, his hips thrusting erratically as Tseng's words made him lose control.

"Uhhh… fuck… Tseng!" the President yelled, his vision blacking out for a moment as he came hard into the Turk's fist. When his mind started to function again, the Wutain was holding him against his chest and Rufus was blushing so much his face felt on fire, mortified that he's come so quickly, just from his Turk's dirty talk. Sitting up to gaze back into beautiful dark eyes, the blonde moved his hand down to rub the Turk's erection through his pants, wanting to make Tseng lose control for him.

"Not now, Rufus," Tseng gasped softly, his own hand removing the President's. "First we deal with the latest disaster. After that you can satisfy me."

The blonde stared into the head Turks eyes, wanting so desperately to even up the score between them but finding no justifiable excuse to ignore Reno's summons any longer. "Promise me?" he murmured.

"I swear," the Wutain replied with a chuckle, kissing him slowly as if sealing the deal. Rufus pulled back from Tseng's lips, climbing off his lover's lap slowly and a little confused at how he'd lost the upper hand so quickly to the head Turk. _Just like with Sephiroth,_ his mind taunted him and he scowled, trying to stand on legs that were still trembling. The Wutain stood with him, an arm around his waist as Rufus buttoned up, wincing at the sticky mess in his pants.

"Regain your composure, Mister President. We have already taken too long," Tseng scolded, a small grin showing Rufus that he was teasing.

"Damn it, Tseng. I'm only human," Rufus muttered, breathing in deep as he walked towards the door with his Turk behind him. Reaching out he tried the handle to find it locked. "Oh fuck Reno!" he suddenly blurted, belated remembering he'd left his keys on the other side of the door and the redhead was suppose to let them out.

"You left the keys in the outside lock on purpose, Rufus, didn't you? Using my own men against me…," Tseng murmured, leaning in close behind the President to whisper in his ear. "I'm impressed by your initiative but I will still punish you later for your deceit."

Rufus didn't respond, leaning forward to rest his head against the door and sigh as he suddenly released that he may have gotten more than he could handle with Tseng.

***..***

A few minutes later, Rude finally came down and unlocked the door, Tseng noticing the look on the quiet Turks face and asking him what had happened as they walked out the cell block.

"You both need to see the President's office. We left Yazoo there to put the other two to bed and now he's gone," Rude answered as they approached the stairs.

"What the fuck are you saying?" Rufus demanded, grabbing the dark Turks arm and pulling the larger man to a stop with an angry glare. "You and Reno were supposed to be taking care of him!"

"We only left him for five minutes, Sir," Rude answered, his eyes darting away nervously.

"Rufus, calm down. Rude lead the way and we will discuss it inside," the Wutain ordered coldly, pulling the blonde away from the other Turk with a sharp tug. Rude nodded to the Wutain, running up the stairs and leaving him to deal with the spluttering President.

"What makes you think you have the right to overrule me, Tseng? I am the one in charge of all of you and when I ask for an explanation from your Turks, I expect one immediately!" the blonde hissed, pushing the Wutain away. "Their lack of respect for my authority is probably why they lost Yazoo in the first place!"

"I may be under your command but the other Turks still answer to me, Rufus," Tseng growled, stepping closer to the President. "You will get your explanation when you shut the fuck up and go upstairs!" the Turk ordered, the blonde's face flinching back in shock. There was a standoff that lasted around a minute before Rufus swore and turned towards the steps, jogging up them while Tseng followed. The fact the blonde was so upset over Yazoo's disappearance had re-ignited the Wutain's own anger and doubt, making him feel as if he'd miscalculated Rufus' true feelings towards himself.

On entering the office, the President exploded in a tirade of insults at Reno and Rude who stood on one side of the room with their heads down. Kadaj and Loz were over at the window, staring out into the darkness. Tseng walked up beside the President, waiting until Rufus paused before cutting in.

"Rude, Reno report," the Wutain ordered, ignoring the dirty look Rufus directed at him before the blonde stormed over to his desk. Tseng stared at his men, watching as they shuffled uncomfortably. He knew he wasn't going to like what he was about to hear.

***..***

"So, basically you were spying on us and letting the remnants watch as well?" Tseng asked, his eyes darkening as he glared at the Turks.

"It wasn't like that, boss! We couldn't leave them all unattended and we were worried about Rufus' safety and you always said that his safety comes above everything else, no matter what," Reno insisted nervously, hoping that his boss wasn't going to start yelling at them as The President had. His ears were still ringing from that barrage of insults.

"You both honestly thought I would hurt him?" Tseng questioned, his eyes suddenly showing offense. The redhead flinched, looking down at his feet as he tried to think of how to answer without getting himself killed.

"Tseng, stop taking it so personally," Rufus interrupted, opening his laptop and frowning as the monitor disintegrated in his hands. "They were just doing their job. There was no way they could of predicted Yazoo's reaction and we're wasting time here, arguing over details when we should be out there, looking for Yazoo. Hurry up and get to the fucking point."

"Fine, Rufus. If you insist on getting to the point then maybe you can answer a question for me," Tseng stated, turning towards the President. "What exactly is your relationship status with the missing remnant?"

Rufus stared back at the Wutain, Reno noticing how The President had suddenly gone from the man in charge, to a deer in the headlights in under five seconds. Asking the blonde in front of all of them had insured that he would be unprepared, his true feelings for the missing youth written all over his face even though he refused to answer. Tseng always got his information, one way or another and Reno was shocked he'd use the tactic on the man the he was supposed to love. _And here I was thinking Kadaj was going to be difficult…_

"He thinks you've both rejected him for each other," Loz's voice suddenly cut in, Rufus' head flicking over to stare at the oldest remnant.

"That's bullshit," the President whispered.

"It is?" the Wutain murmured, staring at the President. "What the fuck does that mean, Rufus?" _Oh shit_, Reno thought, fighting the urge to flee. He couldn't leave Kadaj in the middle of this and the youngest remnant was still staring out the window, seemingly oblivious to what was going on behind him.

"I mean… I thought…," Rufus stuttered, his gaze meeting Tseng's. The Wutain's eyes narrowed dangerously, the air in the room electric as Reno held his breath.

"Fine, Rufus. I understand perfectly. I will go and find your boyfriend for you," Tseng spat, heading out the door with Rufus gaping after him.

"Fucking gods, Tseng! Just wait for one second!" Rufus called, taking off after the fuming head Turk.

"Well that was… interesting," Reno muttered, yelping as Rude smacked him in the back of the head.

***..***

Rufus ran after the head Turk, his aggravation rising with every step. "Tseng! Tseng! Stop walking the fuck away from me!" he demanded, coming up behind the Wutain as he entered his bedroom. Suddenly, the President was thrown into the wall, the door slamming closed beside him.

"What do you want, Rufus?" Tseng growled, his hand around Rufus' throat as his face stopped inches from the President's.

"I want… you," Rufus gasped out, his own hands coming up to wrap around Tseng's to try and pull it away. The blonde saw pain flick across the Wutain's eyes before he found himself suddenly released, sliding to the floor as he stared up at his Turk, sucking in breaths.

"I can't do this, Rufus. I can't play your fucking games," Tseng whispered, turning away and taking off his suit jacket, throwing it on the bed without looking. The Wutain walked over to the cupboard, getting out a thick, fur lined jacket and pulling it on.

Rufus stayed on the floor, peering up through his bangs at the fuming Turk. "No games, Tseng. I want you both."

The Wutain turned back, looking down at him with an expression that threatened to chase away the President's courage. "You can't always get what you want, Mister President."

"Why not? You love us both so what exactly is the fucking problem?" Rufus insisted. "He loves you and I know he at least likes me. Why can't we…"

"Rufus!" Tseng hissed, cutting off the blonde's sentence. "Are you even listening to yourself? Do you even realize what you're saying?" Rufus frowned, trying to come up with another way to make his Turk understand but before he could think of anything, the Wutain was speaking again. "I love you, Rufus, despite the fact you're a fucking asshole," he spat, kicking off his shoes and pulling on a pair of boots. "That is why I will find him and bring him back to you. After that, you will have to find yourself another Turk. This is my official notice of resignation."

Rufus gaped at him, not able to hide his shock as the Turk strode past him and out the door. Five minutes later Rufus was still there, staring at Tseng's suit jacket on the bed as he tried to process what had just happened.

***..***

"Reno, where have Rufus and Tseng gone?" Kadaj asked, turning from his vigil at the window.

"I don't know, Daj," Reno murmured, walking over to pull the youth into a hug. At that moment he didn't care who saw them as the youth looked like he was falling apart inside.

"They will go and look for Yazoo, won't they, Reno?" Kadaj asked, his voice so soft that the redhead almost didn't hear it.

"If they don't we will," Reno whispered back, hugging the youngest brother even harder.

"Reno, don't even think about doing something stupid like going to look for him yourself," Rude muttered from behind him, making the redhead turn to find Rude standing next to Loz, the eldest brother still staring out the window. "Tseng's the only one of us capable of finding Yazoo out there, especially at night."

"But what if he won't because of all this love triangle shit with Rufus?" Reno retorted, getting angry at how much Kadaj was suffering. "We can't just sit back and do nothing, Rude."

"I know that, Reno. Give Tseng until morning to go. If he hasn't by then, I'll come with you," the quiet Turk responded.

"Okay, okay. Only until morning though," the redhead muttered, looking down at the youngest remnant. Kadaj's face was still blank, the youth seemingly lost in his own thoughts and worry and Reno hated to just stand there and watch.

"Come on, we'll go and find out what's going on," Reno said to the youth. One arm dropped away from the remnant so they could walk together, side by side down the hall, looking in the open doors until they found Rufus on the floor of Tseng's bedroom, propped up against the wall with tears sliding down his face. The redhead stared, not knowing how to handle this one. Reno had come to believe the President wasn't capable of crying, having never seen him do it before.

"Rufus," Kadaj murmured, pulling free of the redhead to kneel down beside the blonde and wrap his arms around him. "I'm sorry Tseng made you cry." Reno was frightened for a moment that Rufus would react badly, but was surprised when the blonde just leaned into the youngest brother's chest.

"He's gone to find Yazoo," the President whispered flatly. "He will bring your brother back and then leave me forever."

***..***

Tseng was so angry, his body running on automatic as he prepared a backpack and finally left the compound grounds. He'd started at the bottom of the window, using a torch to follow the trail of broken branches and footprints that the middle remnant had left behind. Tseng concentrated on his mission, pushing all thoughts of Rufus out of his head as he buttoned up the front of his jacket, the chill creeping in as he continued deeper into the forest.

After about half an hour of walking his anger had softened, worry beginning to rise as the trail Yazoo was leaving behind became harder to find. While the Wutain was a well trained tracker, it had been years since he had used these particular skills. The remnant was barefoot and only wearing a t-shirt and light cotton pants when he had left the compound which meant that he wouldn't last long out in the low temperatures. That wasn't even taking into account the beasts that roamed the mountains and Yazoo was unarmed and without his previous strength. Tseng guessed the remnants still knew how to fight but needed time and practice to adapt to fighting with normal human abilities.

Walking through a clearing, the Wutain looked down, shining his torch into the dirt and noticing the youth's footprints had changed, showing that he was slowing down and probably dragging his feet as he walked onwards. Yazoo had run off after a jealous fit and, by now, he must have calmed, finding himself lost and in the middle of nowhere.

A twinge of sympathy made Tseng frown and chew his lip, his own thoughts returning to Rufus and how he'd left him on the floor. The expression on the President's face was burned into his memories, the pain and shock… something that he had put there even though he'd sworn never to hurt Rufus. Tseng had been so angry, just the thought of finally getting a chance to be with the President, only to lose him because he loved the remnant, too much for the Wutain to bear. He had to admit that the thought of never having a chance with Yazoo had also added to his anger. _Looks like Yazoo isn't the only one throwing jealous fits,_ he thought to himself, sighing as he realized how wrong he had been. The whole situation was one huge mess, three people tearing each other apart because of love and desire.

He knew from what Reno and Rude had said that Yazoo had been watching him and Rufus in the cell… watching as Tseng stroked Rufus and the President begged for release. He must have been hit with his first taste of jealousy, setting off a rush of anger that made him trash Rufus' office and run away in a blind rush of emotions. Considering the remnants unusual upbringing, he was probably unfamiliar with the emotion and would have been easily pushed to the edge by such strong feelings. Tseng could sympathize and was uncomfortable with how alike he and Yazoo where in that respect. _How ironic_, he thought, shaking his head.

It was another hour later before Tseng finally heard a noise up ahead, a sobbing sound that stood out in the silence of the night. Turning off his torch, he approached slowly, finding a hunched figure huddled up next to the roots of a huge tree, silver hair shining in the dim moonlight that speckled through the canopy of leaves overhead.

"Yazoo," Tseng called softly, hoping the youth wouldn't run again. The sobbing suddenly ceased, a pale face hidden in the shadows turning towards him.

"Tseng?" Yazoo's voice whispered. "Have you come to kill me?" The Wutain flinched back at the question, surprised at how empty the voice of the youth had become.

"Why would I kill you?" Tseng asked, taking a step closer. He wished he could see the youth's eyes so he could better ascertain what was going through the remnants mind.

"You hate me. I've been fucking the man you love. Why wouldn't you want to kill me?" Yazoo replied, not moving as he watched Tseng. "I am just a thorn to you, an annoyance that keeps getting in your way. Kill me and your life becomes easier… and you can get your revenge for what mother and I did to you."

Tseng slowly stepped forward again, stopping about two feet away from the middle remnant and crouching down to be on level with the youth. "I don't want to kill you, Yazoo. Honestly, I don't even hate you," the Wutain sighed out, suddenly so sick and tired of all the constant drama that their lives had become.

"I don't understand," Yazoo murmured, Tseng close enough now to see his body shivering. The Wutain slipped his backpack off his shoulders, taking the blanket tied to the front off and unrolling it.

"First we need to warm you up. Then we will talk more," he said, holding out the blanket to Yazoo. The youth did nothing at first but after a minute, he tentatively reached out and took it, wrapping it around his shoulders and the Wutain stood and began gathering firewood.

***..***

Yazoo watched as Tseng started a fire, just a few feet away from him. The brightness of the flames grew and he could feel the warmth it radiated, driving out the chill that had numbed his body. He turned his body to face it, stretching out his bare feet to let them soak up the heat while he huddled under the blanket. His eyes were drawn away from the fire and back to the Turk, watching as he too settled down, digging through his backpack before stopping to frown at its contents. The youth wanted to ask what was wrong, but couldn't seem to get his voice to work anymore, a mixture of fear, longing and confusion settling over him as he peered at the Wutain. Tseng looked up, meeting his eyes and the Turk's expression softened.

"Feeling warmer?" he asked. Yazoo nodded in reply, sucking his bottom lip into his mouth to chew on it nervously. "I think you and I need to discuss things, Yazoo," Tseng began, his eyes watching the remnant intently. "Firstly, I want you to know that Rufus does love you, even if he doesn't realize it yet. He's been yelling at Reno and Rude ever since he found out you were gone and he's beside himself with worry. That's why I am here. To find you and bring you back to him."

"But you and him…don't want me," Yazoo whispered, coughing as his words stuttered to nothing. Tseng passed him a water flask and he took it, drinking some down and sighing as it soothed his throat. "I saw the two of you together. You love him and he loves you."

Tseng kept looking at him and the remnant could see the different emotions flickering over his eyes. "Rufus doesn't love me, Yazoo. He thinks of me as a possession and what you saw in the cell was just another facet of that ownership. It is you who he loves," the Wutain murmured, turning away to look into the flames.

"I think you're wrong. I watched his face and the whole time he was in your arms, his expression was unguarded and completely open. Rufus is never like that with me," Yazoo insisted, hugging the blanket closer as he began to feel the cold once more.

"What is he like with you?" Tseng asked, still not looking at the youth.

"Closed off… completely dominating and in control at all times. I think I'm the one who is a possession to him, not you. He would never let me dominate him like you do," Yazoo mused, picking a stick up off the ground to poke the edge of the fire. Silence fell over them both, Tseng apparently thinking over what the remnant had said. Yazoo's mind was so full of thoughts that he couldn't still them, finally just deciding to voice them as he had nothing left to lose at this point.

"Tseng, why do you no longer hate me? After what you said in the shower, I thought you would always hate me for what I did to you before," the remnant asked, holding Tseng's gaze when he turned towards him.

"I never hated you. I was just angry that you made me… that I… fuck," the Wutain stuttered, looking away and continuing to swear under his breath. Yazoo stayed silent, waiting for the Turk to gather his control. _Never hated, just angry,_ he repeated in his head, remembering that Rufus had said the same thing about Tseng's feelings. _Does that mean that Rufus was right about him loving me too?_

"I took you against your will and for that, I am sorry," Yazoo said softly. "I regret hurting you and wish that I could undo it all." Tseng said nothing, making Yazoo worried that his apology would not be accepted. Minutes ticked by until finally, the Wutain looked up at him and when their eyes met, Yazoo sucked in a breath at the intensity coming from those dark eyes.

"Apology accepted," Tseng whispered, pulling his legs into a folded position. "I regret the incident in the showers as well. What I said to you was inexcusable. I said it to purely cause you pain and none of it was true. I am sorry for hurting you, Yazoo."

Hearing those words, Yazoo couldn't help but smile, his heart pounding in his chest in excitement. _None of it was true…_ "Thank you," he whispered. Minutes ticked by but Yazoo couldn't look away, his own emotions shining out at the stoic man before him. He now knew the Wutain didn't hate him but he needed to know if there was a chance for something more. "Tseng, do you want me like you want Rufus?"

Tseng's eyes widened, a slight blush tinting his cheeks. "I… I think I do," he mumbled, looking away and making Yazoo smile even wider. It was quiet for awhile, the middle brother happily thinking over the possibilities of having both the men he desired, until the Wutain sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair and glancing back. "I will be honest with you, Yazoo. I do not know how to handle this… whatever this is, between the three of us. I have never dealt with a situation like this before and I find myself lost. Then again, after what I said to Rufus tonight, I may have pushed him away, once and for all."

"I'm sure that's not true, Tseng. Rufus loves you enough to forgive you, no matter what it was that you said," Yazoo replied, shuffling over closer to the Turk.

"Thank you, Yazoo, but I don't think it will be that simple. With Rufus, there are certain things that hurt him more than others. I told him that I would leave forever as soon as I brought you back, and to him, that is the worst thing I could have said. His mother left him, Sephiroth left him… he will not forgive me for this so easily," Tseng responded, looking back into the fire. "I was jealous that he was so upset by your disappearance and I lashed out."

"I left him because I was jealous too," Yazoo suddenly realized, biting his lip. "He's going to be angry with us both." Yazoo was now close enough to touch the Wutain, so he reached out, gently laying his hand on the Turks arm and smiling when Tseng looked up. "We both need to apologize to him. I'm sure if we work together, we can win him back."

"Together?" Tseng asked, an eyebrow rising in surprise.

"If we're going to make the three of us work, we have to stand together," Yazoo whispered, his hand lifting off of Tseng's arm to tuck a lose strand of hair behind the Wutain's ear. The Turk gazed at him, his eyes searching the remnant's before his own hand rose up to gently trace Yazoo's jaw with one finger.

"I think… I would like to do it with you," Tseng murmured with a grin.

TBC

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	8. Misconceptions

**Title - The Measure of a Man **

**Fandom – FFVII**

**Characters – Yazoo, Kadaj, Loz, Tseng, Reno, Rude, Rufus**

**Warnings this chapter – yaoi, swearing, angst, sex**

**Disclaimer – Don't own the boys, just playing with them**

**Note – Story begins immediately after Advent Children**

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**_Thanks for your review violetsake_ !**

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- **Chapter 8 – Misconceptions** -

Reno watched as Kadaj helped the President to stand, the blonde co-operating numbly as he stared at the far wall. "Maybe we should get him to his bed," the redhead mumbled, approaching the pair. Kadaj nodded, putting the President's arm over his shoulder and looking at Reno. He led the way, pulling back the covers and standing back as Kadaj lay Rufus down in the bed and pulled the covers back up. The youngest remnant fussed over the President, even going so far as to move the blonde's hair off his face in a surprisingly tender move that left Reno feeling a little jealous.

"Rufus, everything will be okay. Just get some sleep and Yazoo will be back for you soon," Kadaj whispered before backing away from the bed.

Reno took the remnant's hand, leading him out of the room and closing the door behind them. "Come on, you're sleeping in my room tonight," the redhead said, smiling at the surprised look the youngest gave him. "Well, Tseng's not here and personally, I don't give a fuck how pissed he'll be right now. I'm not leaving you alone tonight."

"Thank you, Reno," Kadaj murmured, walking forward to hug Reno tightly. "I knew I was right to pick you." The redhead raised an eyebrow at the youth's words, shaking his head and grinning at the strange way it was phrased.

"You're welcome… I think," Reno responded, walking down the hall slowly with Kadaj still clinging to him. Once they were in Reno's room, the youngest remnant climbed under the sheets, the redhead keeping one eye on him as he changed into his pajama bottoms. He was about to ask the youth how he was feeling when a knock on his door interrupted him. Reno walked over and opened it to find Rude and Loz standing in the hall.

"Reno, can I ask you a favour?" his partner asked, looking a little uncomfortable. Reno nodded, smiling at Loz when the remnant looked at him. "As you know, I'm on first shift tonight but Loz needs to rest. I don't want to leave him alone so… could he stay with you and Kadaj?"

"Oh… um… sure, partner," Reno responded, moving aside to let Loz through. The oldest remnant walked over to the bed, sitting down and talking quietly to Kadaj. "You alright?" Reno asked, turning back towards Rude.

"Yeah, I'm more worried about them," Rude replied, looking over at the bed.

"Me too. Don't worry, I'll take care of him," Reno said with a wink, trying to lighten the mood.

Rude just smiled, shaking his head. "Thanks, Reno."

Reno closed the door, walking over and stopping next to the bed as two sets of eyes turned towards him. "Well, looks like we're all in together tonight. So, you two have any preferences on what side of the bed you sleep on?" Reno asked, more nervous about this than he was willing to show.

Kadaj pulled back the sheets, Loz climbing in and moving back towards the wall, both leaving an obvious space in the middle for the redhead. Reno stared at the space, finally sighing to himself and climbing over Kadaj to stretch out in between them both. _I had to open my big mouth and ask, didn't I, _he thought to himself as Kadaj snuggled backwards into his chest and Loz pressed into his back. The oldest remnant's arm rested over the redhead's middle, reaching over to hold onto Kadaj's hand, and his breath ghosted over the Turk's neck, making him shiver.

"Is this okay, Reno?" Loz whispered.

"Yeah, it's cool," Reno replied, closing his eyes and trying to think non-sexy thoughts.

***..***

Some time after dawn, Tseng woke to find Yazoo cuddled between him and the smoldering ashes of the fire. He started to try and extract himself from the remnant's embrace, only to find the youth hugging him tighter.

"Warm… stay," Yazoo's soft voice mumbled, making him grin and watch as sleepy eyes finally opened. "Tseng."

"Good morning," the Turk murmured, a finger tracing a line over the pale skin of the remnant's cheek. He found he couldn't stop touching the youth, entranced by the curves and dips of his face and the features that were so perfect.

"Morning… hmmm…," Yazoo said sleepily, his hands rubbing Tseng's back as he moved closer to nuzzle his neck. "You smell good."

The Wutain breathed in sharply, his body reacting instantly. "Yazoo, this isn't the place for… I mean, we should be getting back." He heard a soft chuckle coming from the youth and frowned at how the sound made his heart beat quicken.

"There's no better place to make love than in nature," Yazoo purred, nipping his earlobe and pulling his hair free of its tie.

"Yazoo… stop," the Turk insisted, pulling back to meet the youth eyes. The desire he saw quickly changed to hurt, the remnant obviously taking his rejection the wrong way. "I want you, so very much, but I don't want it to be so…," his voice stopped, words failing him for a moment. "I want it to be special," he finally managed, looking away from the youth. "Our first joining was so tainted and I just wanted the next to be different."

***..***

Yazoo gazed at Tseng, the Turk's words making his heart beat faster. _I want it to be special_… Could he really think Yazoo was important enough for that? "Tseng, no matter where, it would be special because it's with you," Yazoo whispered, leaning up to kiss the Turk gently. "But if it's what you want, than I can wait." Tseng's face lit up in a smile and Yazoo's heart skipped a beat. The Turk's smile was usually so rare but last night and this morning, he had been gifted with it so many times. Did Tseng smile like this for Rufus too?

Yazoo sat up as the Wutain moved away, watching the Turk as he went about digging through his back pack, as if looking for something, just as he had last night. "Tseng, what is it you keep looking for in there?" he asked curiously.

"I thought I put my phone in here, but it looks like I've misplaced it. If I had the phone, I'd call Reno and have him bring out some shoes and warmer clothing for you, but unfortunately, it looks like we'll have to do with what we have," Tseng muttered, stopping and glancing over at Yazoo. "Here," he suddenly said, picking up his own boots and passing them over to the remnant. "They'll be too big, but still better than walking back barefoot."

"But what will you wear?" the remnant asked.

"I will be fine without them, Yazoo. After all, your feet must be sore from last night," he said, walking over to kneel down near the remnant's feet. Pushing back the blanket, he lifted one foot and placed it on his knee, running fingers over the sole which made Yazoo flinch. He hadn't even realised that they were damaged. "See how sore they are?" Tseng said, his hands gently moving to rub the top of the remnant's foot, massaging absently as he looked up. "You have scratches, cuts and probably bruises too. I insist you wear my boots."

"O… Okay," Yazoo moaned. The remnants face blushed red, his reaction to having his foot rubbed a complete surprise to him. To his relief, Tseng just grinned, putting down his foot and picking up the other one to massage the top of it too, carefully avoiding the tender sole.

"You like this, hm?" Tseng murmured, his gaze darkening. "Once your feet have healed, I will have to give you a proper foot massage."

"I… I would like that," Yazoo whispered, biting his bottom lip. He failed to hold back a disappointed murmur when Tseng stopped, slipping a boot over his foot.

"I think we should start making our way back now," the Wutain explained while putting on the other boot. "Otherwise we may never get home." Yazoo smiled and nodded, pushing down his desire as he pulled the blanket around himself tightly, standing up and looked down at his feet in the oversized boots. They looked a bit funny, but he was happy that they were Tseng's and that the Turk was willing to go without for him.

***..***

Kadaj rolled over, opening his eyes to find Reno fast asleep beside him. Loz was spooning the redhead and Kadaj thought they looked so cute together. He couldn't help but smile, noticing his brother beginning to wake and reading the thoughts going through the elder's mind. Loz was horny and with Reno's back pressed up against his front, Kadaj knew what would happen next.

Loz began slowly moving, his hips pressing forward against Reno's ass lightly at first, causing the redhead to shift a little in his sleep but not wake. Loz's hip thrusts slowly increased, the elder brother's hand moving down to grip Reno's hip as he thrust against the redhead's ass. "Kadaj," Reno moaned sleepily, making Kadaj's breath catch in his throat. The Turk's eyes flittered open and once he focused and saw the youth watching, his eyes widened. "What the fuck!" Reno hissed, trying to move away only to have Loz's arm wrap around his waist, pinning his arm and pulling him closer. "Kadaj!"

Kadaj pouted before smiling at the spluttering Turk. "Reno, it's not that bad, is it? Don't you like Loz and the way his cock feels against your ass?"

"That's not the point! He belongs to Rude!" Reno blurted, trying to wriggle free, which only made Loz moan loudly. Kadaj moved a hand down to slip under the waist band of his Turk's pants, relieved to find the redhead's cock erect as he squeezed it gently.

"Oh you do like him," the youth whispered, kissing the wide eyed Turk gently. "Look how hard you are, just from Loz rubbing his cock against you." Kadaj began to stroke Reno, matching his pace to brother's thrusts against the redhead's ass.

"Kadaj… gods… I thought we… talked about this and… you understood about brothers not doing… this shit together," Reno stuttered, whimpering when Loz began to bite and lick his neck.

"I'm not doing anything with Loz right now, Reno. We're just touching you," Kadaj murmured, increasing the pace of his strokes.

"Damn it… I… fuck… didn't mean…," the redhead's words were lost in a moan, and Kadaj watched as his Turk closed his eyes and began to move his hips along with the remnants' ministrations. The sound of Reno's moan seemed to push Loz over the edge and the elder remnant climaxed, biting down hard on Reno's neck as he thrust against the redhead's ass erratically. Kadaj moaned himself when Reno followed, throwing his head back and groaning as his cock pulsed and released, all over the youngest remnant's fist. Pulling his hand out of the Turk's pants, Kadaj smiled as he licked his hands clean, watching as Reno opened his eyes and stared at him.

"Thank you, Reno," Loz whispered in the redhead's ear. "Don't worry, I won't tell Rude," the elder remnant added, climbing out of the bed while the redhead just lay there breathing. Kadaj watched as his brother went into Reno's shower, shutting the door just as someone knocked on the bedroom door.

Reno quickly pulled the sheet up over his stained pants and sat up. "What?" he yelled out, folding his arms across his chest moodily. Kadaj bit his lip, worry starting to build inside him as he thought that maybe this time, they'd pushed Reno too far.

The door opened slowly, Rude poking his head through the gap to peer in. "I let you sleep all night and this is the welcome I get?" the dark Turk asked.

"Shit, sorry partner, I just… well I had a bad dream," Reno apologized, flicking a look over at Kadaj that made the remnant flinch. "Hey, why didn't you wake me for my shift?" he said, looking back at Rude.

"Came in to do it and the three of you looked so comfortable that I didn't have the heart to wake you," Rude replied as he opened the door up fully and looked around. "Where's Loz?"

"In the shower," the redhead muttered, pointing towards the closed bathroom door. "Thanks for letting me sleep in."

"No problem. Better get up before Rufus does though. Don't think he's going to be in a very good mood," Rude said.

"Fuck, forgot about all that shit," Reno mumbled. "Any word on Yazoo and Tseng?"

"Nothing yet. Tseng forgot his phone though, so he's probably already found him and just camped out for the night. Anyway, I'm starting breakfast so send out Loz when he's finished," Rude said, closing the door.

"Reno, are you mad at me?" Kadaj asked, his mood dropping even further as he thought about Yazoo. Personally, he couldn't give a shit about Tseng.

"I just… I don't want to talk about it right now, Kadaj," Reno muttered, climbing off the bed and walking over to grab a set of clothes out of the cupboard. "I'm going to shower in Rude's room. When Loz is finished, tell him Rude wants him in the kitchen. You have your shower after Loz and I'll see you at breakfast." Kadaj watched as his Turk walked out of the room, biting his lip as the redhead never looked back. "I'm sorry Reno," he whispered to the empty room.

***..***

Yazoo watched the barefooted Turk confidently walking through the forest ahead of him. He couldn't help but watch Tseng's ass as he found it much more attractive than the scenery.

"Yazoo, stop staring at my backside. You're distracting me," Tseng's voice suddenly called, making Yazoo blush and direct his eyes upwards. The man hadn't even turned around or paused and the remnant was left a little in awe of his senses. It didn't stop his eyes from going back to watching the other man's butt though.

The more time he spent with Tseng, the more enamored with him Yazoo became. As soon as the Wutain opened up to him, accepting his apology and agreeing to the possibility of more between them, the Turk's whole attitude had changed. It was almost as if he was treasured, the stoic man touching him so gently and smiling so softly. Tseng had also given him the shoes off his own feet, insisting Yazoo stay behind him as they traveled through the forest incase they ran into any fiends. The remnant had never had anyone treat him that way before and he was a little lost on how to respond.

"Yazoo, you're still staring," Tseng's voice repeated, making Yazoo chuckle.

"Can't help myself. It moves so nicely that it draws my eye," he replied, grinning when the Turk stopped and looked back at him.

"Self control is a beautiful thing. Try some," Tseng retorted, smiling before continuing on. _Watching someone lose it is far more beautiful_, Yazoo replied in his mind, remembering just how the Wutain had looked when he was out of control.

Yazoo wanted to see it again, longed to make the stoic man writhe in need and beg to be fucked. He knew for that to happen, he had to earn Tseng's trust and that would take time. The remnant wanted to have that closeness with both his Turk and Rufus, and while it was already developing with the President, it was just beginning with the Tseng.

Rufus knew all about his relationship with his brothers and had accepted it without any negative results. Yazoo wanted that honesty with Tseng too, wanted him to know everything about him and love him anyway, just as Rufus was beginning to. He remembered the President's advice, how he'd said that Yazoo should keep the secret of the brothers' sexual relationship and never tell the Turk. Rufus did know the Wutain better than he did, but the remnant still felt that the gentler Tseng, the one he was seeing out here, would accept the truth too.

"Yazoo," Tseng's voice interrupted, jerking the remnant out of his thoughts. Yazoo looked up and found the Turk standing in front of him, looking at him intently. "You okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Sorry to tune out," Yazoo replied, smiling when the Wutain reached out and took his hand.

"Don't want you walking into a tree," Tseng murmured, chuckling when Yazoo smacked his arm lightly for teasing him. The remnant definitely believed Rufus was underestimating the leader of the Turks.

***..***

Rude watched his partner push his breakfast around the plate, the redhead usually always hungry in the morning. "Reno, is something wrong?" he asked.

"Just lost my appetite," the Turk muttered, not looking up. Rude glanced over to see Kadaj pouting at Reno, the youngest remnant's food also untouched. _Great, a lover's quarrel is just what we need right now_, he thought to himself, frowning. He felt a hand squeeze his and looked up to find Loz smiling at him and couldn't help but smile back.

"This is all his fault," Kadaj suddenly exclaimed, pushing back his chair to stand up. "He made my brother leave me, hurt Rufus and… and… I hate him!"

"Shut the fuck up and sit the fuck down!" Reno growled, glaring up at Kadaj. "I'm not in the mood for any more of your shit this morning." Rude stared, shocked at his partner's reaction. Even more surprising was Kadaj's reaction, the younger remnant flopping back into his chair and folding his arms, glaring back at Reno. The redhead just went back to pushing his food around, staring at his plate.

Rude looked towards Loz, the elder remnant just shrugging his shoulders before going back to eating. Rude found his own appetite waning as he looked down at his food and sighed, looking up when the sound of a door opening broke the silence.

***..***

Tseng and Yazoo entered the front door, the Wutain still holding his hand as they walked down the hallway. They found the others in the kitchen, except for Rufus, and Yazoo meekly stepped forward, determined to make amends for all the trouble he had caused as four sets of eyes looked towards him.

"I want to apol…," he began, his words cut off as Kadaj sprung up from his seat to punch the middle brother in the face. Yazoo's head snapped back, Tseng's arms catching him as he stumbled back from the force of the impact.

"You left!" the youngest remnant screamed. Reno was suddenly there, wrapping his arms around the exploding youth and trying to restrain him from any further attacks. "You promised that we'd always be together and you fucking lied!"

Yazoo stared, the shock of his brother attacking him making him momentarily mute as he watched Reno desperately try to keep hold of the struggling youth. "Daj, fucking calm down!" the redhead demanded. "You gotta give him a chance to explain, not attack him. Families don't attack each other!"

"Families?" Kadaj spat, his face red and his eyes wide as he continued. "Families don't abandon each other!"

"Kadaj, please!" Yazoo pleaded, trying to step towards his brother, only to find Tseng's arms holding him back.

"Let him calm down first," the Wutain insisted, his eyes on Kadaj as he spoke. "I will not let him hurt you again."

"You… you!" Kadaj growled, his eyes locking onto the head Turks. "How dare you order him around. This is all your fault. You made Yazoo cry, Rufus cry… do you even have a heart in there? You don't give a fucking shit! You don't give a fucking shit about anyone but yourself!"

Yazoo could feel his face throbbing but he ignored it, trying to struggle out of Tseng's hold. Kadaj's thoughts where pounding into his head like a stampede, thoughts of hurt and pain that he couldn't bare to be the cause of. "Damn it, Tseng. Let me the fuck go!" he demanded, his head turning to glare at the Turk. "My brother needs me!"

Tseng looked at him for a moment before letting him go, Yazoo instantly running and wrapping his arms around both Kadaj and Reno. "I love you brother. I'm so sorry I hurt you and it will never happen again," he pleaded into the youth's ear as the youth's struggles stopped. "I didn't think… I was just so angry and confused. It was selfish of me and I need you to forgive me."

Yazoo pulled back, cupping Kadaj face and peering into the youngest's burning eyes. "Please Daj? I need you so much," he begged. Kadaj's mind had gone silent, Yazoo unable to read anything and so scared that his brother would never forgive him.

"Yaz… do you really need me?" the youth finally whispered. Reno's arms loosened around Kadaj, his hands resting on the youth's hips as the redhead watched Yazoo over Kadaj's shoulder.

"Yes! You are my brother and I will always need you," Yazoo whispered, one hand sliding back into Kadaj's hair to caress and calm. Suddenly Kadaj's lips were on his, hard and demanding, and all Yazoo could do was kiss back. His mind was a blur of need, want and desperation, Kadaj's thoughts taking over his own. The little remnant's arms held him hard, their bodies grinding together wantonly until suddenly Loz's thoughts broke through in a rush of panic.

_Brothers, stop! Tseng, Reno and Rude! _A picture of themselves and what they were doing filled Yazoo's mind, accompanied by images of Reno with his mouth open and Tseng, whose face was a canvas of shock and pain. Both the remnants broke apart, panting as their thoughts remained linked and confused. _Reno…want… Tseng…need… shame… don't hate me_… Yazoo couldn't work out which were his and which were Kadaj's as they stood staring at each other.

Strong arms pulled them against a muscled chest, the scent of Loz filling Yazoo's senses. "Don't hurt them!" Loz exclaimed, backing them away from the others and to the far wall of the kitchen. "It's not their fault… it's not any of our fault! Mother made us like this… we didn't ask to be born different!"

Yazoo looked up, wanting to see what had made his big brother react so, only to find Tseng glaring at them, his eyes burning with a frightening intensity. "Tseng," he whispered, reaching out a hand only to have that gaze fix on him, making him flinch back.

"Lock them back in their room now," the head Turk's voice suddenly growled, cold and deadly.

"But…," Reno began, only to quickly shut up when Tseng's eyes flicked towards him. The redhead looked away, swearing under his breath as his hands fisted at his sides.

"I want them out of my sight," Tseng spat, turning away and walking back down the hall. Yazoo could only stare after him, his heart breaking at the thought that he had been so wrong about the leader of the Turks.

***..***

Rufus woke up to the sound of yelling, putting a pillow over his head as he swore and wished he was somewhere else. He was still so tired, not wanting to get up and face another day of drama or face the total rejection of Tseng. Just thinking of the Wutain made him want to cry again and he threw the pillow across the room in frustration. Rufus Shinra should never cry and he was mortified that Reno and Kadaj had seen him like that yesterday. The youngest remnant had even put him to bed, like some broken little child. He didn't know how he would face them today, how could he when they'd seen him so weak and pathetic?

He was staring at the door when it suddenly opened, making him jump as usually everyone knocked before coming in. He was about to complain when he saw Tseng enter, closing and locking the door behind him before leaning against it, his hair down and hanging over his face.

"Tseng?" Rufus asked gently, disturbed to see his Turk in such a state. The Wutain pushed off the door, walking over towards him quickly and Rufus had the sudden urge to run, not knowing what the hell was going on and still unable to see Tseng's face to try and work it all out. "What… what's wrong?" the President stuttered out, shifting back across the bed in fear. The Wutain climbed onto the bed on his hands and knees, crawling up and over Rufus until his body hovered over the blonde's. Rufus was too shocked to speak or move so he just lay there, looking up into the Turk's intense eyes.

"Tseng?" he finally whispered.

"You knew," the Wutain growled. "You knew and you never told me."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Rufus retorted, his annoyance at how easy it was for Tseng to intimidate him, overtaking his fear.

"You knew the brothers were fucking each other and you didn't tell me," the head Turk accused, leaning closer to Rufus' face. "And you're still fucking Yazoo regardless."

The President tried to push himself further into the mattress, away from the irate Wutain hovering above him. Somehow Tseng had found out and he hadn't even had a chance to think up an excuse yet. "How… I mean what…," Rufus stuttered, hearing the weakness in his own voice and scowling. "Get off me, Tseng! I'm your superior and I don't have to justify my decisions to you," he retorted angrily.

The Wutain's eyes darkened, making Rufus flinch. "If you remember, I resigned last night so I no longer work for you, Mr President. That means I don't have to follow your orders," Tseng hissed, his face getting closer until their noses where nearly touching. "It also means I can do whatever I wish to you. If you will not co-operate and explain your actions to me, I will be forced to _make_ you tell me."

"You wouldn't dare," the President whispered, his body beginning to tremble despite his attempts to show no fear.

"Keep being an asshole and you will find out," the Wutain responded, sitting back and resting his backside on Rufus' hips as he straddled the President. Rufus didn't move, hating his body as he felt his erection press into the Turk's ass. Tseng raised an eyebrow, looking down at him with a look of pure contempt. "You're such a perverted fuck. I threaten to hurt you and you get hard."

The blush that spread across Rufus' cheek's was too much for him to handle, the humiliation of Tseng seeing him like this, kicking in his urge to run. The blonde suddenly jerked his body to the side, managing to knock the Wutain off as he scrambled to escape the bed. His hand just reached the edge of the mattress when a heavy weight bore down on his back, flattening him face first into the bed.

"You leave me no choice," Tseng's voice hissed in his ear, Rufus biting his lip to try and stop the moan that surfaced without his permission. Unfortunately, the Wutain heard it, growling before he spoke again. "Since you seem to want this so much, I will oblige you, Mr President."

***..***

TBC


	9. Fracture

**Title - The Measure of a Man **

**Fandom – FFVII**

**Characters – Yazoo, Kadaj, Loz, Tseng, Reno, Rude, Rufus**

**Warnings this chapter – yaoi, swearing, angst, non-con, sex, incest**

**Disclaimer – Don't own the boys, just playing with them**

**Note – Story begins immediately after Advent Children**

**Note 2 - **_Italics denote persons inner thoughts_ - _(Italics with brackets d__enote other voices heard in the character's mind)_

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**_Thanks to violetsake (yes, me too!) and SilentPleasantries for your kind reviews! *hugs*_**

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**Chapter 9 – ****Fracture** -

Rufus' mind was reeling, arousal mixing with fear and leaving his body so confused that he just lay limp under the Wutain. The whole situation was so unbelievably wrong. Tseng was his Turk, his protector and the only man he'd ever trusted completely in his whole life.

"I don't want it like this," Rufus whispered, feeling the Turk's breath ghost over his neck and hating the way his body responded to it.

"Mr President, if you don't want it, why are you so aroused?" the voice behind him asked flatly.

"Because it's you, asshole! You only have to look at me and I… I…," Rufus' voice trailed away in embarrassment.

"You what, Rufus? Get hard? Long to touch me? Or is it that you long for me to touch you?" Tseng's voice purred, making the blonde whimper before he buried his face in the mattress, trying to stop anymore sounds from betraying him. "I wonder, Mr President, how easy will it be to make you come?"

Rufus was trying to control his body, but every word the Wutain uttered made his cock throb between his belly and the bed. He wriggled a bit, trying to achieve some space but the Turk only pushed him down harder. Rufus could feel Tseng's erection pressing into his ass as his own shaft rubbed against the bed and he couldn't stop the wanton sounds that escaped him.

"Mmmm, Rufus. You're so ready for me, aren't you? Such a little whore you've turned out to be," the Wutain whispered before licking a line up the side of the President's neck. "I love you like this."

"I'm not… uhhh… a whore," Rufus tried to argue, his moan making a mockery of his words. His face was blushing hotly, the embarrassment making him want to fight back, to somehow exert his authority and hurt the Wutain back instead of just taking this like a pathetic weakling. "If this is your idea of torturing me, than maybe it is you who are the whore, Tseng. Did you conduct all of your interrogations like this?"

Rufus could feel fingers threading through his hair, gripping firmly in his blonde locks. Suddenly, his head was pulled back quickly, making the President yelp in a mortifyingly high pitched sound. "You should not anger me, Mr President. While I would prefer to torture you with pleasure, I can torture you with pain if you prefer," the Turk growled before biting down on his neck, marking Rufus and making the President's hips buck back. "Or maybe you would like a bit of both, in this case?"

"Tseng… want more," Rufus begged, his hips now moving of their own accord as his neck was exposed even further. The position aroused him to the point that he really no longer cared about the shame, his whole body responding to the rough treatment in a wave of desire.

"Always so needy," Tseng murmured, spending another few minutes kissing and biting the President's neck as he continued to grind against him. Finally the Wutain sat upright on the blonde's backside. "I do believe you owe me, Mr President? Did you not say, when we were in the cell, that you would satisfy me later?"

"Yes… I did. What do you want me to do?" Rufus asked, not caring anymore how submissive he sounded. He just needed something, anything to take the edge off his arousal.

"Don't move," Tseng commanded before releasing his hair and moving off the bed. Rufus' head fell back to the mattress as he took the opportunity to catch his breath, not daring to move as he had decided to play the Wutain's game for now. It was only a minute before he felt the other man back on the bed beside him.

"Turn over and remove your pants," Tseng commanded. Rufus followed the instructions, lying down on his back with his hands by his sides when he was done. The President's face broke out in a grin when the now naked Wutain climbed over him, straddling his waist but he began to worry again when he realised his arms were pinned against his sides by Tseng's legs.

"Open your mouth, Rufus," the beautiful man suddenly growled, making the President's own grin disappear.

"You can't be serious, Tseng," the blonde said, looking up at the Wutain with a frown.

"You are under the impression you have a choice, Mr President? You do as I say or I may have to hurt you," the Turk replied, bringing up a hand to grasp Rufus' chin hard. "I promise you, it will not be a pleasant pain either."

Rufus gaped at his Turk, searching his eyes to try and work out if the other man was teasing or serious. Tseng just stared back at him, one hand still holding his face while the other began stroking his own cock. "But… I mean… you wouldn't… not me… would you?" the blonde stuttered out.

"Open you mouth now, Mr President. Or do I have to get creative?" Tseng replied, leaning back behind him and bringing fourth the blonde's own shotgun. "It would be interesting to see how far up it would go."

"Are you fucking insane?" Rufus spluttered, eye opening wide in panic. "Games are one thing, Tseng, but that… that would do me serious damage." His eyes were drawn to the shaft of his own weapon, the barrels suddenly seeming so much larger than they had before. The blonde had the feeling he'd never be able to look at the gun the same way again.

"Better open your mouth then, Mr President. Unless of course, you'd like to try it," Tseng murmured, his face taking on a decidedly evil grin. Rufus opened his mouth a little, not willing to risk it. After all, he did like giving head… usually… he'd just never let anyone do it like this before. This was about giving over all control and that was something Rufus Shinra never did.

"Good boy," the Wutain purred, leaning over to drop the gun on the floor before shuffling his legs up on either side the blonde's body, his knees now on either side of the blonde's shoulders. "For being so good, I will try to be gentle," the Turk added, both his hands cradling Rufus' face.

The blonde felt the tip of Tseng's cock brush against his lips and his eyes fluttered closed as he slipped out his tongue to lick over the end of it. The Wutain's breath caught and Rufus almost moaned, the whole situation so twisted but still so arousing. His Turk, his Tseng was naked, on his chest with his cock painting his lips with pre-come. The President quickly forgot his pride and opened his mouth wider, allowing it to slip inside as his tongue continued to caress it.

"Mr President… so… obedient… so good," the Turk stuttered, pushing his member further inside slowly. "Do you realise how you… look right now? My cock pushing past your lips… you so eagerly swallowing it. Fuck, Rufus." The blonde's name came out as a groan and the President opened his eyes and watched his beautiful Turk arch back silently as he sucked hard. His own shaft twitched on his stomach, untouched but he ignored it.

The Wutain's hands were still cupping his face and when Tseng looked back down at him, the Turk's fingers tightened as he began to slowly move his hips, pulling out before pushing back in, still so gently. Rufus watched as his Turk's eyes squeezed shut. "So long… so long I've wanted… Rufus… you don't even know… how much… gods," the beautiful man muttered, seemingly having trouble holding back as his thrusts began to increase. "You see me… finally see me."

The President moaned around the cock in his mouth, the urge to touch so strong. He realized that only his arms from the elbows up where pinned, allowing him to grab onto Tseng's ass with his hands and push the Turk's hips closer, swallowing more on every thrust in. "Fuck!" Tseng cursed, opening his eyes to look down, sweat forming on his pale face. "Mr President," the Wutain hissed, his thrusts suddenly becoming erratic.

Suddenly, Rufus' mouth was empty and Tseng was stroking his cock before him with one hand, while the other held his chin in place. "Tseng, want more," he whispered, licking his lips.

"Open your… mouth…," the Wutain panted and Rufus complied, opening up and waiting for his Turk to push inside again. He couldn't hide his surprise when suddenly his face was stripped with come, some going on his waiting tongue as he closed his eyes and tried to turn his face away, only to be held in place by the hand on his chin. He didn't open his eyes when it stopped, instead listening to Tseng's heavy breaths as he tried to push down the feeling of humiliation.

"It suits you, Rufus," the Wutain murmured, making him flinch at the words. The chuckle that followed made him want to lash out, but he could do nothing until the Turk chose to get off his chest. The blonde felt the man above him finally begin to shuffle back down his body and then a tongue lapped his cheek, making him open his eyes in shock. His Turk was licking the come off his face, slowly cleaning him like a cat. Even after the humiliating experience, his cock still jerked, his body seemingly not as affected as his pride was.

"Tseng," he groaned, the Wutain finally finished cleaning his face and moving the licking to his swollen lips. "I need…." He didn't get to say anything more as his mouth was kissed fiercely, the other man's tongue dominating his easily as he whimpered into the kiss. He felt a hand wrap around his shaft and begin pumping hard, making him arch up and groan into Tseng's mouth. He couldn't believe how close he was, the Turk only having to stroke him for a few seconds before he came hard into the Wutain's fist.

***..***

Reno watched as Rude herded the remnants into their room, following behind with mixed feelings. He was still pissed off at Kadaj for this morning's… whatever that was, but the young remnant looked so upset that he longed to comfort him as well. The redhead scowled, stopping inside the door and watching as both Kadaj and Yazoo continued to cling to Loz as they stood in the middle of the room.

"Reno, whatever happened with Kadaj this morning doesn't matter," Rude murmured softly from next to him, making him look up at the bigger Turk. "He needs you now."

Sighing, the redhead realized that his partner was right. Everything else could wait to be discussed later. Right now, Kadaj's distress was more important. Reno walked towards the trio, watching as the youngest brother's eyes slowly met his own and he reached out to take the remnants hand and pull him into a hug. Kadaj was stiff against his chest and Reno pulled back a little to look down at the pouting young man.

"Sorry I got mad at you, Daj. We'll talk about what happened this morning later on but I want you to know that I'm here for you now and I won't let Tseng hurt you, no matter what," he said softly, one hand coming up to cup Kadaj's face.

The youngest remnant's face lit up with a smile before he buried his face in Reno's chest, hugging him tightly. "Thank you, Reno," he mumbled. The Turk chuckled, hugging him back and kissing the top of his head.

When he looked over at the others, Loz was being held by Rude but it was Yazoo that caught his eye. The middle brother was sitting on one of the beds, looking out the window sadly. The redhead couldn't help but feel sorry for him, knowing that although he was involved with both Tseng and Rufus, they both were unlikely to comfort him right now.

"Daj, I think Yazoo needs some cheering up," Reno whispered in Kadaj's ear. The youngest brother looked up, smiling up at the Turk.

"Do you want to have sex with him, Reno?" Kadaj asked with a grin.

"I said comfort, not fuck, Kadaj. There is a difference, ya know," Reno replied, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

The remnant huffed as he glared up at the Turk and replied, "Sex is very comforting."

Reno chuckled, leading the youth over to Yazoo and sitting down beside him as Kadaj stood and watched. The middle remnant looked up in question and Reno just smiled, putting an arm around him and pulling him into a hug. "It'll all work out, Yazoo. You'll see. Tseng can be one hell of a stubborn bastard, but he loves ya, so just give him some time to cool off, okay?"

Yazoo curled into him, hugging him back as Reno stroked the youth's hair. "Thank you, Reno," his soft voice replied, making the redhead smile.

"It's okay. I'll stay with you and Kadaj as long as you both need."

"What if Tseng wants us?" Rude replied, making Reno look up and meet the eyes of his partner.

"He wants us, he can come and get us," the redhead growled, his anger at his boss slipping out. "The fucker needs to get a grip. Never thought I'd see the day that he flipped but taking it out on these three just isn't right. He won't even consider what they've been through." Rude just nodded in agreement, going back to talking quietly with Loz from the other bed.

"Reno?" Kadaj whispered, standing in front of the redhead. "I want cuddles too." Yazoo chuckled and pulled back from the Turk, the youngest remnant immediately climbing onto Reno's lap.

"Well, lucky there's enough Reno for everyone," the redhead said with a grin, one arm wrapping around the youth on his lap, while the other pulled Yazoo back against his side. "Hey, Rude! Got myself a remnant sandwich, yo!"

"Pervert," Rude muttered, making Kadaj and Yazoo both chuckle as Reno smiled smugly.

***..***

Rufus stared up at the ceiling, listening to the breaths of the man beside him. He felt used, ashamed and unsure of what it was that had just happened. Nobody, his whole life had treated him like that and he didn't know how to handle the mixed feelings assaulting his brain.

"Tseng?" he said softly. "Are you still leaving me?"

There was no reply from beside him and Rufus was suddenly hit with how unfair this whole scenario was. He'd kept the remnants sexual relationship with each other a secret from Tseng but in the past, he'd kept far more important things from the Turk without this kind of reaction. Why was this so different? And why was the fact Yazoo was fucking his brothers so damn horrifying to the Turk anyway? It wasn't like the Wutain hadn't seen worse in his time as a Turk.

"Please talk to me," he tried again, turning to look at the Wutain. Tseng's eyes were open, looking up at the ceiling but he still didn't turn or respond.

"Why are you doing this, Tseng?" the President asked, deciding to try one last time to reach out to the Turk. "I don't understand why you're so upset. So the remnants are lovers… honestly, what did you expect? They were raised by Jenova, for fucks sake and besides, I don't understand why that's any reason for you to hate me or leave."

"You still haven't answered my questions," the Wutain suddenly murmured, sitting up but still not looking at the President.

"Your questions? What damn questions?" Rufus asked, his frustration clear in his words.

"Why you didn't tell me about them and what your real feelings are for the remnant," Tseng answered, his face turned away from the blonde.

"You want answers? Fine, Tseng, I've give you answers. I didn't tell you because you would use it as an excuse to hurt them. I didn't want them hurt because I love Yazoo. I love him enough to accept him the way he is and not demand he change, but you could never understand that. You're too busy judging everybody and trying to make them live up to your unrealistic, fucked up expectations," Rufus muttered, running a hand through his own hair as he breathed in deep. "Honestly, I thought I knew you but I'm finding that I don't understand you at all anymore."

"You… love him?" Tseng's voice whispered and the blonde turned towards the Turk to see him cover his face with his hands.

"Tseng?" Rufus whispered, suddenly worried by the Turk's reaction.

***..***

Tseng felt something tighten in his chest at Rufus' words, his confused anger disappearing to be replaced with a clarity that hurt. _Rufus loves Yazoo…_ He was already aware of Yazoo's feelings for the President which meant… _they don't need me at all._ The Turk rubbed his eyes, trying to deal with the statement that made his heart crumble. _Always somebody else… I'm never good enough_. Suddenly memories that he'd long forgotten came back to taunt him.

_(How can you say such things? This is all your fault… what have you done?)_

"Rufus?" he whispered, trying to get his mind to focus on the present and forget the past.

"I'm right here, Tseng. Please, you have to let go of this… this insistence on everyone being perfect. I'm just human, as is Yazoo. You can't expect us all to be perfect beings like you," Rufus' voice replied, the words stinging as they fell over the Wutain.

_But I'm not perfect… I'm just… (whore… lying, worthless whore)_

"Jenova isn't with them anymore. It's no excuse for what they're doing," Tseng insisted, squeezing his eyes closed as his hands rose up to fist in his own hair. "It's… forbidden. Only sick, twisted people do that with their own flesh and blood."

_(You started this! You must have! He would never…) _

"Tseng?" Rufus' voice asked and the Turk could hear concern in it, lighting up a small ray of hope that was quickly extinguished by more images he didn't want to see.

_(You're just jealous… such lies… did you think we'd believe you?)_

"Yes! Why won't you believe me?" Tseng mumbled, his hands pulling tighter in his hair, the pain somehow comforting as his body began to curl up. "I'm your son too."

"Tseng! Tseng!" a voice called, familiar and laced with urgency but it was so far away. Still the images came, voices yelling and pain… so much pain that clawed at him and dragged him further into the depths of his own mind. It seemed to go on forever and nothing penetrated the memories as he rocked his body back and fourth.

"Please, stop. Don't say that. I need you to believe me. You're all that I have," he muttered at the people in his mind as they stared down at him with disgust before turning away. "You're supposed to love me too..."

Suddenly there was a sharp pain in his neck, his muscles relaxing all at once as he finally fell into the darkness.

***..***

Rude had been peacefully enjoying Loz's arms around him when his phone had started ringing and he almost ignored the vibrations of it in his pocket. Luckily, common sense prevailed and he pulled it out, noticing it was the President. When he'd answered it, Loz looking on curiously, Rufus had nearly deafened him with his panicked yelling, the President having to raise his voice over Tseng's which seemed to be raving in the background. Rude had grabbed Reno, pulling the redhead out of the remnants room and telling him to get a tranquilizer shot before running ahead to the President's room. The door was locked and by the time he managed to type in the override code, Reno was beside him again. They'd opened the door and run inside, only to freeze at the sight of Tseng, pulling his hair and rambling under his breath. It had taken Rufus' own yelling to get Reno to break out of shock and give Tseng the tranquilizer shot in the neck. Once the Wutain fell unconscious, the room was silent, both Turks turning to the President.

"Sir, what happened?" Rude's voice asked, looking over Tseng who was now cradled in the President's arms.

"We were arguing and then he started screaming things that didn't make sense. That's when I called you. I… I didn't know what else to do," the President answered blushing as he sat with nothing but a sheet hiding his and Tseng's nakedness. Rude could guess what they'd been doing before the argument… as could his redheaded partner if the look Reno was giving him right now was any indication.

"You did the right thing by calling us," Rude said, leaning forward to squeeze the blonde's shoulder in what he hoped was a comforting way. The President looked so young right now, his expression full of fear and concern as he held Tseng and caressed the Wutain's hair so gently. "He'll be out for at least eight hours which gives us time to work out what happened, Sir."

"It was something from his past, I think from when he was a child. Before I called you, he said 'I'm your son too'. How the hell are we supposed to find out anything from that long ago?" Rufus questioned, looking up towards the other two Turks.

"Well, Sir. Do you still have all our medical records? Cause that's always a good place to start. Maybe something might show up, like unexplained injuries, debatable paternity or past physiological problems. You'd be surprised what a simple medial history can tell ya about a person if you dig deep enough," Reno said, scratching his head nervously.

"Yes, they're in the basement, if I remember correctly. Tseng retrieved all our personnel records from Junon last month," Rufus answered, looking back down at the head Turk. "I want you both to give this your full attention. We only have eight hours to work out how we can fix this and first we have to find out what 'this' is."

"The brothers are all in their room, locked down for the night so it shouldn't be a problem, Sir," Rude responded. "We'll just get the files from the basement and start going through them in the kitchen."

"Want a hand getting sleeping beauty settled first?" Reno asked, making Rufus' lips curl up on one side.

"He'd kill you if he heard you say that, Reno," the President murmured. "And I think I can manage an unconscious Tseng on my own."

They left Tseng in Rufus' care, Reno heading to reassure the remnants after their hasty exit, while Rude headed down to the basement to begin the task of finding Tseng's medical records. Luckily, when the head Turk had retrieved all of the files from Junon, he'd catalogued and stored them all meticulously. Rude had to admit, the Wutain's insistence on organisation came in handy in an emergency. Five minutes later he was walking into the kitchen with a large box containing not only Tseng's medical records, but anything else he thought might be of interest.

When Reno came back from the brothers' room and lifted an eyebrow in question at the amount of paperwork, Rude smiled. "I found his employment application, some mission reports as well as notes from Veld on all of his employees. Thought there may be something in there mentioning if this had ever happened before," he explained, piling up the folders on the table as Reno lit up a smoke.

"Good work, partner," the redhead said, reaching over to pick a folder off the top of the stack. "Now let's see what we can find out about our mysterious leader."

***..***

Yazoo lay between his brothers, safely cradled in Loz's strong arms. He found sleep escaped him as his mind was too worried about what had happened with Tseng. The redhead had mentioned that there was a problem the Turks had to deal with but both he and Rude would be just outside in the kitchen if they needed them. The remnants hadn't minded, the time alone something that they didn't get much of an opportunity for anymore.

He felt tears burn his eyes as he remembered how the Turk and he had been in the forest, the other man so gentle, understanding and affectionate. The remnant couldn't believe that he'd lost it all because of one kiss with Kadaj. He knew what he and his brothers did was not accepted by most people but for it to cause a reaction of disgust that strong… that was something he'd never imagined. After Rufus had been so accepting, he'd hoped Tseng would react similarly.

"Yaz, don't cry," Kadaj's voice whispered, making him look down into the face of the youngest brother curled into his chest. "I'm sorry for kissing you and making Tseng angry at you again."

"It's alright, little brother," Yazoo crooned, swallowing down his tears and caressing Kadaj's hair. "It is I who was at fault when I ran away."

"I… I'm sorry for punching you too," the youth added, reaching up to gently touch the bruise on the middle brother's cheek. "It just hurt so much when I thought I'd lost you too."

"Daj, I understand and there's no use in you feeling bad over it. Besides, you did kiss it better," Yazoo said with a grin.

"Can I kiss it better again?" the youngest asked, smirking up at him deviously. Instead of answering, the middle brother leaned in to gently kiss Kadaj's lips, keeping it slow and tender. His little brother whimpered, deepening the kiss as their minds joined, Kadaj's lust swamping Yazoo's thoughts.

Suddenly Loz's body began to move behind him, the elder brother's hand moving down to his hip. "Mm, this is just like this morning," Loz growled, his hand moving to push Yazoo's sleep pants down to his thighs. Suddenly he could feel the elder's mind join with theirs, his bare cock pressing into Yazoo from behind as the middle remnant moaned softly into Kadaj's mouth.

Kadaj pulled back to giggle at Loz's words and Yazoo asked them what had happened that morning. "We kinda did this with Reno. Well, we left his pants on but Loz still used his backside to rut against, while I stroked him to orgasm. It was so hot the way he pleaded for us to stop," Kadaj replied, shuffling out of his own pants. "Although, I didn't get to come."

"Well that's just not fair, little brother," Yazoo purred, pulling their hips together so that their shafts touched, making his little brother hiss at the contact. "But seriously Daj, you should be careful with Reno as you don't want to scare him away."

"He loved it. His body was so receptive and he came so quickly too," the youngest replied, wrapping his hands around both his own and Yazoo's erections. They all began to grind together, being as quiet as possible until Loz growled.

"Not enough… want to be inside one of you," the eldest groaned, stopping to sit up. "Please brothers?"

"I'd like you to take Kadaj, since he missed out this morning," Yazoo agreed, turning to kiss Loz and suck on his tongue. When they pulled apart, Kadaj was kneeling on the other bed, his backside facing them as he fingered himself.

"Oh Daj," Loz groaned, standing up and moving to kneel behind his brother, his hands spreading the boys cheeks so he could get a better view. "It's my favourite thing… when you do that."

"I… I know," Kadaj whimpered, as Yazoo walked around the bed to the other side, kneeling up in front of the youngest.

"Such a bad boy," Yazoo purred, grinning as his little brother's face flushed in arousal and annoyance.

"Yaz, don't… call me a boy or I'll…," Kadaj began to mutter before his words where cut off by his own moan, Loz chuckling as he showed Yazoo a mental picture of what he was doing to distract their little brother.

"Loz, put in another one," Yazoo whispered, closing his eyes to enjoy the sight in his mind of the eldest adding a second finger, to join Kadaj's own. "Little brother, you're so hungry to be filled. Such a slutty little boy you are," Yazoo purred, moaning at the sight of Kadaj pushing back so needily onto all those fingers.

_(Don't call me a fucking boy!)_ Kadaj yelled in Yazoo's head, the youngest removing his own finger. Yazoo opened his eyes and was about to apologise for his words when his own cock was enveloped by warm lips. (_A boy couldn't suck you like this)_, Kadaj added, taking the whole of Yazoo's shaft down in one go and sucking hard.

"Ah, fuck!" Yazoo groaned, his hips beginning to pump in and out of his brother's mouth. _Take him now, Loz, _the middle brother sent to the oldest, knowing that he wouldn't last long.

Through the mind link, Yazoo watched as Loz pulled out his fingers, lining up his cock and slowly pushing in to the hilt. The pressure around his cock increased, making him arch back as his own thrusts into Kadaj's mouth adjusted to match Loz's thrusts from behind. With the mixed mental images and emotions from both his brothers assaulting his mind, it was only a matter of minutes before Yazoo was pushed over into bliss, biting his lip to stay quiet as his hips bucked hard, filling his little brother's mouth. Kadaj just had time to swallow before he followed the middle brother, sucking hard on Yazoo's spent member as he came, the sensation on Yazoo's over sensitized cock almost painful.

Loz growled, grabbing Kadaj by the hips and pulling him back onto his lap as he sat back on his heels, the youngest whimpering as Loz pounded into him. "Your ass is so tight, little Daj… so fucking tight," the eldest groaned, biting down on the youth's shoulder as he finally reached his own climax, Yazoo watching as he thrust in and held still, filling Kadaj with his seed.

Finally their minds separated and Yazoo fell down on the bed, watching as Loz pulled out of Kadaj and turned him around, wrapping his arms around his waist and picking him up. The youngest clung to Loz, too worn out to argue about being held like a child. "I'm just gonna clean Daj up," Loz said, taking him over to the cupboard and grabbing a wash cloth before returning to put the youngest down on the other bed. Yazoo found his pants and slipped them back on while the eldest used a glass of water to dampen the cloth and wipe down Kadaj gently, redressing the yawning youth and then himself. All three climbed back into the unused bed, too sated and sleepy to worry about the mess they'd left behind as they snuggled together.

***..***

**TBC**

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mmm


	10. Memories

**Title - The Measure of a Man **

**Fandom – FFVII**

**Characters – Yazoo, Kadaj, Loz, Tseng, Reno, Rude, Rufus**

**Warnings this chapter – yaoi, swearing, angst, incest.**

**Disclaimer – Don't own the boys, just playing with them**

**Note – Story begins immediately after Advent Children**

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_**Thanks to violetsake and TurkPrincess for their kind reviews!**_

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_**Extra warning**__ – All italic sections in the following chapter are Tseng remembering his past through his dreams. They concentrate on an incestuous relationship between two brothers and the negative reaction when the relationship is discovered by their parents. While there is nothing sexual or graphic in these sections, some may find the material upsetting and disturbing due to it's emotionally abusive aspects. Please read with caution._

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**Chapter 10 - Memories**

_Tseng stared out his window, watching his parents leave. His stomach tingled with excitement, knowing that they wouldn't be back until late the next day and for the first time, he and his brother would be totally alone. He hugged his favourite toy to his chest, the tiger soft and comforting against his bare skin as his emotions raced around his head, his heart beating so fast in his chest. The sound of footsteps climbing the stairs made his breath speed up, knowing who it was and what was to come. The one who loved him, made him feel special and important. The only one that never said he wasn't strong enough, smart enough or tough enough. To him and him alone, Tseng was perfect, just the way he was._

***..***

Four hours later, Rufus finally pulled himself away from the sleeping Turk, his own body unable to rest as he tried to piece together what Tseng had been mumbling about. There were so many possibilities; most he didn't want to believe. With only four more hours until the Wutain awoke, his need to know more dragged him up and out to the kitchen to find Reno and Rude buried in papers.

"Any progress?" the President asked.

"We've found some interesting inconsistencies, but there's no way to tell if they're related or not," Rude answered, sitting back and rubbing his eyes.

"Ready to fill me in?" Rufus asked. Rude nodded and moved a pile of folders off the chair next to him so the President could sit down. The blonde looked up just in time to see Reno trying to hide his ashtray with one of the folders. "And Reno, I don't care if you're smoking in here. I just want something to work with before Tseng wakes up."

The redhead grinned at him, putting the folder off to the side and pulling out another cigarette. "I thought you hated smoking, Sir."

"Doesn't bother me. I even do it myself sometimes. It's Tseng that hates it," the blonde murmured before turning back to Rude. "So, what do we have?"

"Well, we know that he moved to another town when he was thirteen from the addresses of the healers he saw," Reno said, offering the blonde a cigarette which he declined.

"Why is that significant?" Rufus asked.

"Cause his family didn't move with him. Both parents and the older brother stayed and he was sent to live with an aunty and uncle that had no other children," Reno replied.

"Any indication of why?" the blonde asked, frowning.

"None. The healer mentioned that Tseng didn't take the separation from his brother well. He was prescribed sleeping pills to help him adjust for the first few months. Veld's notes mentioned that Tseng had issues relating to his family but the pages directly after that are missing though. Either, the former leader took them out himself or someone else did," Rude added.

"Veld was his mentor and the man was a bit obsessive in knowing everything about his Turks. He did mention something earlier in his reports about Tseng always being available for shifts on holidays and weekends because of no family ties, but the records show that his parents are both still alive," Reno added.

"What about the brother?" Rufus asked, chewing his bottom lip.

"Deceased. No mention of how or when he died," Rude replied.

"So, for some reason Tseng was sent away from his family and still doesn't speak to his parents to this day," Rufus summarized, frowning in thought. "That only gives us more questions."

"There's not much else here, Sir. No unusual injuries while he was living with his parents and the local authorities were never involved, so whatever happened must have been a closed, family thing," Reno muttered, throwing another folder back into the box.

"What about when he was living with this aunty and uncle? Anything suspicious then?" the blonde asked, feeling like he was grasping at straws.

"He was only there for around two to three years before he came to Midgar. In that time there were multiple visits to the local healer for various injuries. The healer even noted that he thought there was a possibility of physical abuse but it doesn't look like there was ever any follow up," Rude said, passing over a file opened to a particular page. Rufus read down the page, noticing that every couple of weeks, the Wutain ended up back at the healers with everything from a concussion to broken limbs. One of the last entries mentioned that the healer had threatened to call the authorities over what he believed where whip marks on Tseng's back.

"What the fuck," Rufus whispered, noticing it was one of the last entries. "Somebody whipped him and nothing was done?"

"Tseng was born into a noble family. From what I hear, a lot of them still practice the old ways and most of the authorities turn a blind eye to it. The dates indicate that Tseng left Wutai and joined Shinra soon after that," Rude muttered, standing up and gathering up the rest of the folders.

"Are the aunty and uncle still alive?" Rufus asked, having the sudden urge to go and visit the people that seemed to be responsible for so much of Tseng's pain.

"I doubt it. There's a mission report about Veld going to the same town with no reason given as to why," Rude said, picking up the box of files. "Just a note saying that the problems where nullified."

Rufus raised an eyebrow, watching as Rude carried the box back towards the basement. "Makes me like Veld a little more," Rufus murmured to himself, his frown deepening.

"Turks take care of their own," Reno said, smiling when the blonde looked up at him. "And Sir, I hope you know that you're one of us too now. I'd like to think the brothers could be included one day, if Tseng ever stops hating them all."

"He doesn't hate them, Reno. I know he loves Yazoo," the President replied. "He's just too fucked up right now to admit it."

"I hope you're right, Sir," Reno said, turning towards the cupboards to begin pulling out saucepans. "Anyway, me and Rude gotta get dinner started. Gotta try and fatten up Kadaj and Yazoo. I swear, those two are way too thin."

"You're just as thin, Reno," the President chuckled, standing up himself. He suddenly realised that Tseng had never told him how he'd found out about the remnants and he asked the redhead to fill him in on what had happened. Once Reno had finished, things started to click together in the President's head, a picture forming that he hoped he was wrong about.

"Is Yazoo alright?" he finally asked, leaning back against the dinner table as Rude returned.

"You should go and ask him yourself, Sir," Reno said with a grin. "Dinner will be about another half an hour so there's plenty of time for you to comfort him." Rude suddenly smacked the redhead across the back of the head, making Reno flinch and glare. "Hey! Stop doing that!" the redhead exclaimed, rubbing his head.

"Better to be hit by Rude than by me, Reno," the President interjected, walking out of the kitchen and towards the remnants room quickly so the Turks wouldn't see his smile.

***..***

"_Brother, why can't anyone know?" Tseng asked, his fingers playing with the dark strands of hair that fell down like a curtain around the face above him._

"_Because if anyone finds out, we won't be able to be together anymore, Tseng," the deep voice replied, a soft hand caressing his cheek._

"_But why? We love each other and make each other happy. Shouldn't that be what's important?" Tseng asked, frowning._

"_Yes, it should be," his brother replied, smiling down at him. "But the rest of the world does not have your heart, little one. You know that being who we are, makes us have to live by certain rules. What we appear to be is what is important to mother and father. What we really are, they never need to know."_

"_As long as we're together, I don't mind," Tseng replied, pulling his brother down and wrapping his arms around him tightly. "Promise you'll never leave me?"_

"_I promise, little one," the deep voice replied._

***..***

Yazoo drifted somewhere in the haze between sleep and awake. Despite how comfortable he was, snuggled between Kadaj and Loz, his worries over Tseng prevented his mind from relaxing into sleep. He wanted to see Rufus, to make sure that the President still wanted him and wouldn't turn him away as Tseng had done. He felt so insecure, knowing that the other two men where together and he was here, nothing more than a prisoner once more.

Finally he sat up, running a hand through his hair as he looked around their room. Suddenly, his eyes noticed a shadow move in the corner of his eye and he turned towards it to find Rufus, sitting on the next bed.

"Rufus?" he mumbled, extracting himself from Loz's arms and crawling over Kadaj to approach the other man. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see if you're okay," the blonde replied, reaching out to take the remnants hand. "And I missed you."

Yazoo smiled, letting the President pull him closer. "I… I thought you'd be angry with me," he murmured, still unsure of how Rufus felt about him.

"Why would I be angry?" the blonde asked, pulling the middle brother down to straddle his lap and wrapping his arms around Yazoo's waist. "It's not your fault Tseng has issues."

"But he hates me again and you love him, so doesn't that mean you shouldn't like me anymore?" Yazoo asked, bringing his hands up to cup the President's face. "Won't he get angry at you?"

Rufus smiled up at him, turning to the side to kiss the palm of one of the remnant's hands. "He's always angry at me, and besides, don't you realize that I love you too?"

Yazoo's eyes opened wide at the President's words, not quite believing what he'd just heard. "You love me?" he whispered.

"Yes, I love you. It's kind of hard not to, Yazoo," the blonde replied with a chuckle. "Don't worry about loving me, though. I know I'm not the easiest person to love. Just let me love you and I'll be happy."

"But I… I do love you, Rufus," Yazoo stuttered, leaning down to kiss the President gently, letting their foreheads rest together. "You've always been so kind to me and I love the way you make me feel when we're together. I miss you when you're not here and… and…," Yazoo's words caught in his throat as tears fell down his face . His brothers had always loved him, but that love came from the bond they shared and the fact they'd only had each other for so long. Rufus was the first person to love him simply for being him.

"Shhh, it's okay," the President crooned, pulling Yazoo close and rubbing his hands over the remnants back. "Don't cry, Yaz. I came here to make you feel better, not upset you."

"You do make me… feel better," Yazoo stuttered out between sobs, hugging Rufus tightly as he rested his head on the President's shoulder.

"Then why are you crying?" Rufus asked. Yazoo just hugged him harder, not completely understanding why himself. It was embarrassing and he hoped Rufus didn't think less of him because of his tears.

"He's crying because he's so happy," Kadaj murmured from the other bed. "See brother, I told you Rufus was a better choice than Tseng." Yazoo sat back, wiping his eyes and looking over his shoulder to see both his brothers sitting up and watching them.

"I thought you two were asleep," Rufus said, a grin on his face as he looked around Yazoo at the other two remnants.

"Like we can sleep with you two yapping," Kadaj said with a grin, leaning back against Loz's chest. "Although, I'll totally forgive you both if you want to play."

"Kadaj," Yazoo growled, glaring at the youngest remnant. "You touch Rufus and I will hurt you."

The youth pouted, crossing his arms and glaring back. "That's so not fair. Why can't we play with Rufus too?"

"Don't you already have Reno?" Yazoo retorted. "He'll get angry if you touch Rufus, and I will tell him if you do."

"That's so unfair! I only want to play with him once, just to see what he's like and make sure that he knows what he's doing," Kadaj insisted.

"Kadaj, you better not be propositioning the President," Reno said from the doorway, everyone turning to find the redhead leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed.

"I… I wasn't, Reno. I was just… I mean, I was just testing him, to make sure he'd be faithful to Yazoo," the youngest remnant replied shakily, biting his lip nervously.

"Testing him, eh? Honestly, Kadaj. Do I look that stupid?" Reno retorted, walking into the room and stopping next to the bed that the youngest was on. "You have to learn to control your fucking hormones or I'll put you in one of those damn chastity belts. Understood?"

"Chastity belts are for girls, Reno," Kadaj retorted and Yazoo almost laughed as the youngest put on a brave front while backing away across the bed. "They don't make them for boys."

"Oh yes they do and they look really, really uncomfortable," the redhead said, his voice lowering dangerously. Kadaj froze, looking up at his Turk with fear on his face.

The room was completely quiet until suddenly, Rufus began laughing, burying his head in Yazoo's chest. The sound was contagious, everyone else beginning to chuckle except for Kadaj whose frightened face twisted into a scowl.

"That's so unfair. Nobody's putting one on Loz and he's just as bad as me!" the smallest remnant spat, folding his arms and glaring around the room. "It was him that wanted to play with you, Reno, and he didn't even ask me before he touched you this morning."

"You slept with Loz?" Rufus asked, looking at the redhead with wide eyes. "Reno, does Rude know?"

"I didn't sleep with Loz!" Reno blurted, making Rufus raise an eyebrow in disbelief.

"He's telling the truth. Reno was asleep and I just held him still and used him as something to thrust against. His ass is really perfect for it," Loz replied, smiling innocently. "He did tell us to stop but Kadaj convinced him to let me keep going."

Reno's face went purple as he gaped at the elder remnant. Kadaj buried his head under his arms while Yazoo and Rufus just stared. Yazoo was starting to realize that his brothers weren't adjusting to a normal life as well as he thought they were.

"Did you two force Reno into this?" he snapped. Kadaj kept his head hidden and Loz began to look worried.

"Well, maybe at first but Kadaj made sure he enjoyed it too," the eldest insisted, looking around the room in confusion. "We didn't hurt him or anything. I like Reno and I'd never hurt him."

"If someone says no, you have to stop immediately, Loz," Yazoo insisted, climbing off of Rufus' lap to walk over in front of his brother. "Promise me you won't do that again."

"Okay, Yazoo. I'm sorry if it was wrong. I just woke up horny and Reno was right beside me and I didn't even realise it was him to begin with," Loz rambled, his hands clenching together. "Please don't be mad at me."

"I'm not mad at you, just disappointed, and it's Reno you should be apologising to, not me," Yazoo said, running his hand through his brother's hair.

Loz turned towards Reno, apologising to the redhead who mumbled an acceptance in return, his face still blushing as he turned towards Kadaj. "Kadaj, get your butt over here now," he ordered, the youngest standing up and walking slowly over to him while staring at the floor. "Dinner will be ready in five minutes, everyone. Lucky it was me and not Rude who came in to tell you. Kadaj? You and I are gonna have a little talk first."

Yazoo watched as Reno led Kadaj out of the room, turning back towards his remaining brother with a frown. "Rude doesn't know?" he asked.

"No," Loz mumbled.

"Tell him, Loz, and apologise to him too. Promise me?" Yazoo asked, lifting the eldest's chin so they faced each other.

"Okay, Yazoo. I promise I'll do it after dinner," the eldest said. "Can I go out and see Rude now?"

Yazoo nodded, watching him go before turning back to Rufus who was watching him intently. "Don't worry too much, Yazoo. They have a lot to learn and making mistakes along the way is normal," the President said, holding out a hand to him once more.

"I wonder if Kadaj will ever learn," Yazoo replied, taking the hand and going back to his previous position on the President's lap. "He's just so passionate when it comes to everything and has so little control, whether it be his temper or his desire."

"I think that's what Reno likes about him," Rufus chuckled, lifting a hand to thread it through Yazoo's hair and pull him down for a kiss.

***..***

_Tseng lay with his eyes open, staring out the open window with his head resting on his brother's chest and strong arms wrapped around him. The stars shone brightly outside as Tseng's thoughts turned towards the future. He'd just turned thirteen and his brother would turn seventeen just a little over a month later. He couldn't help but worry, knowing that his brother would be expected to marry in the next year and would have to leave the family home to live with his new wife. Tseng wondered which of the nobilities' daughters would be chosen to become his sister in law and whether or not his brother would still want to see him once he was married._

"_What are you thinking?" his brother asked, making Tseng look at to find a kind, smiling face looking back._

"_Just about the future…and what's going to happen once you're married," Tseng answered, chewing on his bottom lip nervously. He felt a hand move up to thread through his hand and he closed his eyes, sighing at the touch that always calmed him._

"_You worry too much for one so young."_

"_Hey, I'm not that young!" Tseng retorted, eyes opening as he sat up. "I'm thirteen now and that's old enough to go hunting with the men."_

_His brother chuckled, pulling him back down against his chest and kissing the top of his head. "Yes, you are growing up fast, little one. Every day you become more of a man. Every day you become more beautiful."_

"_Beautiful is what you call girls, brother," Tseng grumbled._

"_A man can be beautiful too and it doesn't mean he's any less of a man," the deep voice chided him before continuing. "I want you to come and live with me when I'm married."_

"_Really?" Tseng exclaimed excitedly, before his thoughts made him frown. "But won't your wife not like me being there, getting in the way?"_

"_As man of the house, the choice will be mine, not hers. Besides, it's quite common for elder brothers to take in their younger siblings. As you said yourself, you're old enough to go hunting with the men and you'll need someone to teach you all about it. I was thinking you might like me to be your mentor, since father shows no interest. Would you like that?"_

"_I would love that!" Tseng said, hugging his brother tightly. "I want to be with you always."_

"_And I with you, little one," the deep voice replied softly._

_Tseng's worries ebbed away as he finally fell asleep, his dreams full of hope and the loving smile of his brother._

_***..***_

Reno stood on the front stairs, leaning on the railing and staring up at the stars as he slowly enjoyed a cigarette after dinner. He was worried because Loz had taken Rude aside for a talk and the redhead had a bad feeling it was about what happened this morning. He didn't want Rude mad at him and it wasn't because he was scared of being beaten up. True, it was a possibility, but he was far more afraid that he wouldn't be forgiven.

The front door opened behind him and he could hear heavy footsteps stop beside him and then silence that made his hands shake.

"Reno?" Rude said softly. He glanced over, glad to find there was no anger in his partner's eyes. "I want to apologise for what Loz did to you."

"Apologise?" the redhead asked. "Why?"

"Loz is my responsibility and I asked you to look after him that night. I feel responsible that he took advantage of you," the bigger Turk explained, looking down at his feet. "I shouldn't have left you outnumbered."

"Outnumbered?" Reno whispered, trying to wrap his mind around the conversation. "Wait… just hang on a minute. Shouldn't you be angry at me?"

"Why would I be angry?" Rude murmured, tilting his head to the side. "You were asleep at the beginning and you asked him to stop when you woke up. I'm aware he's stronger than you, Reno."

"But… I could of…," the redhead began, closing his eyes and breathing in deep as he tried to clarify his point. "Honestly, I could have stopped it. If I'd insisted they stop, I think they would of."

"You woke up, already aroused and thinking that it was Kadaj," Rude replied with a grin. "By the time you worked out it wasn't, you were stuck between them both and I can understand how hard it would be to resist that. I doubt that I would be able to."

"Really?" the redhead asked.

"Yes, really. Loz has told me how attractive he finds you, so it wasn't that much of a surprise. He's a little obsessed with your hair," Rude said with a smirk, his hand coming up to pull Reno's ponytail forward and twine it around his fingers. "And I'd be lying if I said I didn't agree with him."

Reno just stared, his mind going blank as he watched his hair wrapped around his partners hand. "Kadaj keeps talking about your skin. How the darkness contrasts with Loz's paleness," he whispered, words coming out without his permission. "He says… he says that he dreams about seeing me with you."

Rude smiled at him, taking a step closer and Reno suddenly found it hard to breathe. "And how do you feel about his dream?" his partner asked softly, his eyes locked onto the redheads.

"I… I dream it to."

_***..***_

_Tseng awoke to a stinging pain as his hair was pulled hard. He flailed out his arms as he was dragged out of the bed and onto the floor, away from his brother's arms._

"_You horrible boy! What do you think you're doing?" his mother's voice hissed as he was pulled across the floor, his hands coming up to grab the ones in his hair in an attempt to stop the pain._

"_Leave him alone!" he could hear his brother call, before he was dragged through the door and thrown onto the floor in the hallway. He looked up to see his father inside, restraining his brother who was reaching out to him before the door slammed closed, his mother locking it and turning back to him with a look that made him flinch._

"_What have you done?" she hissed. "You little whore, spreading your sickness to your brother!"_

"_It's not a sickness! We love each other!" he yelled back, tears falling down his face._

"_Love each other? How can you say such things? This is all your fault! I knew there was something wrong with you. Refusing to go play with the other boys because you didn't want to get dirty, staying inside all the time and reading, wasting hours on drawing all those flowery pictures like some girl! You were born wrong and now you've gone and tainted your brother too! I will never let you near him again!" his mother screamed._

_Tseng tried to curl up on the floor when suddenly, his hair was grabbed once more and he was dragged into his own room, left on the floor as the door was slammed and locked behind him. He could still hear his brother and father yelling, the sound breaking his heart as he covered his ears and began to cry._

_Finally, he'd run out of tears and just curled up on the floor, too numb to move as he stared at the wall. Some time later, the yelling in the next room finally died down and he hoped his brother was okay. He could hear the door to his brothers room unlocking and opening, his father's footsteps heavy as he walked into the hall and locked the door behind him. Then there was his mother's voice, too low to hear as she talked, his father's responses short and also too soft to interpret. Then the footsteps came closer and Tseng backed away until he was against the far wall, his eyes wide as his body trembled. The lock clicked and his door swung open to the sight of his father, his face flushed with anger as he entered with his mother close behind._

"_We have tried to understand you, Tseng. Your strange ways and insistence on being different but this is inexcusable. Explain your actions to me, boy," his father growled as his mother stepped along side and glared down at him._

"_It… it just happened. I never meant it too!" Tseng pleaded, tears he'd thought all used up beginning to fall once more. "He just… kissed me one day and it felt so right…"_

"_You whore! You lying, worthless whore!" his mother screamed, lunging towards him only to be stopped by his father._

"_You expect us to believe that it was him that started this? He's always made us proud and never given us any reason to doubt him. You must have started this and now you're trying to blame it all on him? He would never have done this to us, to his family name!" his father growled angrily. "Is this because you're jealous of him, of the fact it is he who will inherit everything? That's why you're telling such lies, isn't it? Did you think we'd believe you? Throw him out and let you have what rightfully belongs to him?"_

"_I don't want anything but him!" Tseng yelled back, not believing what he was hearing from his parents. They'd never been affectionate people but he'd always thought that he was loved. "Why won't you believe me? I'm your son too! Shouldn't you love us both the same?"_

"_How can we love you when you won't be a man? And now, to seduce your own brother like some common whore! I will not allow you to taint him, to turn him into the sick, pervert that you are," his mother hissed._

"_Please stop! Don't say that!" Tseng sobbed. "I'm not a whore and I never seduced him. I need you to believe me!"_

"_How can we ever believe you again when you sit there, lying to our faces. I always knew you were different but I hoped it was something that would pass, that one day you would follow your brother's example and become the man you were born to be. Unfortunately, you've proven to us that our hopes will never be realised. Our only option is to send you away, where you can do no more harm to him," his father said coldly, pulling his now weeping mother into his arms. "You've broken your mother's and my heart. To us, from this moment, you are dead."_

"_Please don't send me away! You're all that I have!" Tseng screamed, to upset to hear the banging on the wall from his brother's room. His parents looked down at him once more, the disgust clear on their faces before they turned away and walked out of his room, slamming and locking the door. Tseng stumbled to his feet, throwing himself against the door and screaming with all his might, "You're supposed to love me too!"_

***..***

TBC


	11. Reunited

**Title - The Measure of a Man **

**Fandom – FFVII**

**Characters – Yazoo, Kadaj, Loz, Tseng, Reno, Rude, Rufus**

**Warnings this chapter – yaoi, swearing, angst, sex, violence, incest**

**Disclaimer – Don't own the boys, just playing with them**

**Note – Story begins immediately after Advent Children**

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Thanks to vIoLeT bUtTeRfLy 90 (yes, the quiet ones are always the ones ya have to watch! lol) and SilentPleasantries (*passes a tissue*) for your kind reviews!

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_**Extra warning**__ - All italic sections in the following chapter are Tseng remembering his past through his dreams. This chapter contains a fairly tame torture scene. While there is nothing sexual in these sections, some may find the material upsetting and disturbing due to it's emotionally and physically abusive aspects._

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**Chapter 11 –**** Reunited**

After dinner, Rufus said goodnight to Yazoo and went back to wait for Tseng to wake up. He hadn't told the youth about the head Turk's breakdown, not knowing how to explain it and unsure if Tseng would want him to know. When Yazoo had asked where the Turk was, he'd told him that he was asleep and changed the subject. It made Rufus feel a little guilty to be keeping something so important from his lover, but he figured that it was up to Tseng to decide whether Yazoo would be told or not.

"Lover," the blonde whispered to himself, smiling as he walked in his bedroom door and closed it behind him. It left him feeling somehow lighter, to know that he was more than just a replacement for Tseng to the middle brother. It also meant that they were one step closer to being together as a trio, something he already knew that Yazoo wanted too. The only person left to convince was the Turk.

Turning towards the bed, his smile disappeared as he watched the Wutain, the older man frowning and mumbling in his sleep. Even when unconscious, Tseng seemed haunted by his past and Rufus refused to let whatever had happened ruin their future together. Somehow, he had to find a way to help the Wutain get through this and realize that he and Yazoo could make him happy if he'd just give them a chance.

Rufus stripped off his clothes and climbed in beside his Turk, lying on his side to wait for the other man to wake up. Closing his eyes, he thought over everything that he'd learned and the questions he needed to ask.

***..***

"_Tseng," the cold voice called, making the youth's muscles tense as he tried not to show his fear__ or pain. "You have been with us for just over two years now, but still you insist on being so difficult. I am beginning to wonder if everything we have done for you is a waste of time."_

"_I am sorry, Sir. I did not mean to be disrespectful," Tseng whispered, his body trembling from the aftershocks of the last three whip strikes._

"_And yet you were. We understand that you try, but you need to try harder. You will learn self control, boy. Repeat to me what you will say to your parents in the exact words I told you." His uncle walked around to stand in front of him, staring down at him with the same look of contempt. It didn't matter what Tseng said or did, that look never changed. He'd always be worthless in these people's eyes, an embarrassment, an anomaly that needed to be corrected._

"_I…I accept…,"Tseng stuttered, his voice failing._

"_Speak up, boy! Look at you shivering like a defenseless child. You hide behind that innocent face, pretending to be a victim, pretending to so fragile and in need of protection. We know the truth, though, don't we Tseng?" his uncle taunted, circling him and cracking the whip. Tseng flinched at the sound, making the older man chuckle in amusement. "Now try again, boy. What have you learned?"_

"_I accept what happened… was my fault. I have used my body to… to cor… to corrupt…" Another strike of the whip across his back ended his failing words, replacing them with a yelp of pain that he couldn't hold back. Tseng squeezed his eyes closed and controlled his body's reactions, knowing the price that he would pay for tears._

"_You have to be strong to fight your blackened soul, boy. Your body will continue to lure the weak willed and you have to learn to resist the temptations of the flesh. If a little discomfort and pain makes you fail, how can you possibly find the strength to fight the temptations of evil? Now, once again!" his uncle demanded, stopping behind him as Tseng breathed in deep to steady himself._

"_I accept what happened was my fault. I used my body to corrupt my brother out of jealousy and spiritual weakness. I am strong now and I will defeat the darkness in my spirit. I will become a man you can be proud of," Tseng managed to state without stuttering, the pain across his back becoming a point of focus that he clung to._

"_Acceptable," his uncle coldly whispered, walking back around to face the youth. "Now remember, Tseng. In one month your parents will be coming to visit. You will remember your lessons and stand tall and strong while you admit your sins to them. It will ease their suffering and show them that you are finally taking responsibility for the shame and dishonor that you have caused. Understood?"_

"_Yes, Sir. I will not fail," Tseng responded flatly, meeting the older man's eyes and holding his gaze. He could feel warm blood seeping out of the cuts on his back, the cold air numbing the pain a little as he clung to the ropes holding his arms above his head._

"_We will see," his uncle murmured, walking over to the door and opening it. "We are finished for today," he called out to his wife. In walked the small woman, bowing to her husband as he exited the room. She immediately untied the ropes around his wrists, letting him fall to the floor as his legs finally gave out._

"_Stand up," she said softly__. Tseng stumbled to his feet, straightening his back and keeping his eyes pointing down. "You are lucky to have an uncle who is so willing to do so much for you. It is up to you now, to show your parents that there is hope for you. Fail to do so and you will not find us so merciful."_

"_I will not fail," Tseng whispered to himself as he watched his aunty walk out and lock the door. Crawling onto his mattress, he stared at the rope still hanging from the roof, swearing that he would come out of this a better person. He would somehow prove to his parents that he was worthy of their love again, that he would never hurt them again with his weakness. "I will make you see that I have changed for the better, mother and father. You will see and you will take me home," he whispered, staring into the darkness as his back throbbed._

_***..***_

Reno sat at the dinner table, waiting for Rude to finish saying goodnight to Loz. The earlier talk with his partner had been interrupted by Rufus, the President coming out the front door without either of them noticing and breaking the spell that had fallen over them.

Rude had been leaning towards him and the redhead was certain that his fellow Turk had been about to kiss him when Rufus had cleared his throat, making Rude pull back before he'd left Reno standing there. It had taken the redhead another five minutes to pull himself together enough to enter the building and when he had, the next hour had been spent with the remnants.

Rufus had suggested they be given something to read to break the boredom and by the time Reno got inside, Rude already had an armful of books from Rufus' library. Both Turks spent what time they could with the brothers before leaving them to entertain themselves. Reno would of liked to stay with Kadaj longer but with Tseng due to wake up at any time, the President had ordered the remnants be left in their room where it was safer and the two Turks were on alert incase they were needed again.

Reno couldn't help but keep going over the incident with Rude in his mind, trying to work out when exactly his feelings towards his partner had changed. He realized that he'd never thought of Rude in a sexual way until they'd gotten drunk with the remnants. Seeing Rude like that had changed everything. Closing his eyes, Reno thought back to that night, broken images of Rude caressing Loz's body appearing in his mind. At the time he'd blamed his arousal on the alcohol and what Kadaj's hands where doing but he had to admit, it wasn't the truth. Just thinking about Rude slowly thrusting into Loz had the redhead hard, his own body wanting to take the eldest remnant's place. From somewhere, deep in his mind, came an image of Rude and Loz taking turns at him and he moaned at the thought.

A hand on his shoulder made him jump, his eyes shooting open to find Rude standing next to him. "What are you thinking about?" the other Turk whispered, leaning close.

"I… um… nothing important," Reno stuttered, his face blushing at being caught out. Rude grinned, his hand tightening on the redhead's shoulder.

"Nothing important has gotten you this hard?" he murmured as his other hand reached down to squeeze Reno's erection through his pants. The redhead flinched, opening his mouth to object only to have his words stopped by his partner's kiss. Rude was gentle, but completely dominating and Reno found himself submitting to the other's control without a second thought. He felt Rude's strong arms wrap around him and lift him onto the dinner table as his own hands began roaming over his partner's body.

"Rude," the redhead whispered when their lips finally broke apart. "What… what about Loz?"

Rude smiled, his fingers pulling Reno's hair free of its band and twisting through the red strands. "I told him that I was coming out here to kiss you and he was so excited that I nearly had to tie him up to make him stay in his room," Rude answered. "Loz couldn't be happier, Reno. Kadaj is happy about it too and even offered to keep his brother busy for us."

"But… I… you don't care about them doing things together?" Reno asked, frowning at his partner as he pulled his arms away to cross them over his chest. Everything was changing so fast, leaving the redhead scrambling to catch up in his mind. "I thought that… that we were supposed to make them stop doing stuff with each other. If we're going to… do stuff then we have to let them as well, don't we?"

Rude shrugged, one hand cupping the redhead's face. "I don't care if they have sex. Actually, I'd like to join them. Wouldn't you?"

"Isn't it wrong though? Aren't we supposed to teach them what's right?" Reno insisted. Rude sighed, his hand dropping away from the redhead's face.

"Is being right so important to you?" his partner murmured, looking away. "Reno, we're just Turks, not pillars of society or heroes. We do the dirty work, the things no one else wants to. Is being with Kadaj and Loz, letting them love each other as we love them, is it really so bad? We're not harming anyone, we're simply letting two people who love each other be together. I'm willing to share Loz, to give him whatever he wishes… are you willing to do that for Kadaj as well?"

Reno bit his lip, closing his eyes as he thought it over. He did want to make Kadaj happy and deep down he knew that Loz and Yazoo would always be a part of that happiness. Yazoo may be ready to break away sexually from his brothers and move on with Rufus and Tseng, but Kadaj and Loz were not. As much as he tried to convince himself otherwise, Rude was right. If Reno wanted to truly love Kadaj, he had to accept that Loz would have to be a part of the equation. The feisty little remnant would simply go behind his back otherwise and that would be the beginning of the end for them. Besides, his own feelings for Rude where getting so strong, he didn't think he'd be able to resist them if he tried. Sighing, the redhead let his head drop to his chest in defeat. He felt Rude's hands come around him, pulling him into a hug and he returned the embrace, taking comfort in the other Turks arms.

"Reno, you're such a contradiction," Rude whispered.

"What do ya mean?" the redhead mumbled, his face pressed against his partner's chest.

"You'll kill, torture and blow people up with no second thought but just because Kadaj and Loz are brothers, you feel guilty," the other Turk muttered, chuckling to himself.

Reno pulled back to scowl up at his partner. "Well, I never said I didn't have morals, even if they are a little fucked up."

"Your fucked up morals are part of your charm," Rude said before kissing him once again, chasing away his doubts in the warmth of his embrace.

***..***

_Tseng washed and dressed quickly, his back still a little stiff, but mostly healed from his punishment weeks before.__ Today was the day his parents would finally be coming to see him and he was filled with hope that they would take him back and forgive him for what he had done. His aunty and uncle hadn't punished him in the last month, allowing his body to heal and his spirits to rise in anticipation. He was nervous but now he knew how to control his emotions, burying them, just as his uncle had taught him. His mask in place, he waited on his bed to be summoned._

_Half an hour later, footsteps in the hall made him turn towards the door as it opened and his aunty looked over him critically. "They are ready to see you now," she said, turning and heading back down the hall. Tseng rose and followed her, holding his calm façade perfectly while he chanted the speech he'd been taught, over and over in his head. He kept his eyes down as he entered the room, standing in the centre and waiting for permission to speak._

"_Tseng, we are ready to hear what you have to say," his uncle's voice instructed and he took a deep breath before looking up._

_His eyes met his father's and stayed locked onto them as spoke. "I accept what happened was my fault. I used my body to corrupt my brother out of jealousy and spiritual weakness. I am strong now and I will defeat the darkness in my spirit. I will become a man you can be proud of," he said, managing to keep his voice strong._

"_So, finally you have admitted your guilt," his father replied, eyes not showing the forgiveness Tseng had hoped for. He somehow managed to keep the disappointment from showing, still clinging onto the hope that he would be given a second chance._

"_Yes, father. I understand now that it was my fault and would ask for your forgiveness," he responded, still holding the other man's gaze._

"_Forgiveness?" his father repeated, looking away from him. "I told you that night that you were dead to us. While I am willing to once again accept you as alive in our eyes, I am not convinced that it will do any good to let you back into our lives." Tseng saw his father's gaze flick to one side and his own followed, coming to rest on his mother's face. She wouldn't even look at him, turning away which caused him to flinch, despite his attempts to stay stoic. When Tseng looked back to his father, he was looking over at someone to his left and the youth turned to see who else was there._

_His eyes widened whe__n they met those of his brother, his face full of concern but it was his eyes that effected Tseng the worst. They were full of regret and love, and Tseng felt his pulse quicken, all the feelings he'd buried deep suddenly rushing forward and making his chest ache and his head spin. He turned away, looking down at his feet before closing his eyes and trying to will his body to calm._

"_Little b__rother?" that familiar, deep voice called to him, making him flinch and wrap his arms around his waist. Tseng was failing, after all this suffering to gain control, he was still failing. Nobody had warned him that his brother would be here and finally seeing him again after all this time had robbed him of the control he had fought so hard for._

"_So the truth is revealed," his father muttered. "You say one thing, but your reaction to your brother tells a different story. You have not changed at all, have you Tseng?"_

_He couldn't take all their eyes on him, the disappointment and disgust so thick in the air, he could almost taste it. It was too much to bear so he turned and ran, ignoring his brother calling his name as he ran into his room and threw himself down on his bed. He had failed, in front of all of them, he had failed._

_***..***_

Yazoo couldn't concentrate on the book before him, laying it in his lap and looking over at his brothers. Loz was listening intently to Kadaj who was reading from another book while lying in his arms. Suddenly the youngest brother stopped, looking up at Yazoo and raising an eyebrow in question.

"What is troubling you, Yazoo? I thought you'd be happy after Rufus' visit," Kadaj asked as he sat up, Loz looking over as well.

"It's just that he… Rufus is lying to me about Tseng and I don't know why," Yazoo explained. "He said Tseng was just sleeping, but I could tell he wasn't being truthful by the way he wouldn't look me in the eye. Besides, if it was true, we wouldn't be locked in here and Reno and Rude wouldn't be so nervous. I'm worried."

Kadaj tilted his head to the side, thinking over what his brother had said. "You have a point, brother. Something is going on with Tseng, but there's nothing we can do about it. Obviously, it's something that Rufus and the Turks want to handle on their own."

"Hnn," Yazoo hummed, nodding his head in agreement.

"Come over here and lay with us, Yaz," Loz said, reaching out. Yazoo stood and walked over, taking Loz's hand and settling in on one side of the eldest, while Kadaj moved to lie down on the other side. "I'm sure Rufus, Rude and Reno will work it all out. They care for Tseng and won't let anything happen to him."

"I know, Loz. I just wish that Rufus had trusted me enough to tell me what was wrong," Yazoo murmured, closing his eyes and snuggling up to his brother.

"He will trust you in time. Rufus does love you. It's clear in his eyes when he looks at you," Kadaj insisted. Yazoo felt the youngest hand in his hair and he breathed in deep, letting his brother's caress calm him. "You'll see, Yazoo. Soon, the three of you will be together as one. You just have to be a little more patient." The middle brother smiled at the words, realizing how ironic it was that Kadaj was lecturing him on patience.

***..***

_Tseng had drifted off to sleep, w__orn out from the emotional turmoil. He slept fitfully, nightmares and exhaustion leaving him lost somewhere between asleep and awake. Tseng frowned as strong arms wrapped around him and he breathed in the scent of his brother. Of all the nightmares, this one was the cruelest. He wriggled, trying to push the memory away._

"_Tseng, please don't push me away," his brother whispered sadly. "Please forgive me and don't hate me. I… I don't think I could take it if you hated me."_

"_Brother?" Tseng mumbled, his body stilling as he opened his eyes to look up into his brother's face. "Is this a dream?"_

"_No, little one. I am here because I had to see you. I… snuck in here and found you asleep and I had to hold you again," he said, pulling Tseng against his chest. "I should have come earlier. I should of saved you from… from all this. It's not your fault, none of this is. If anybody is to blame, it is me."_

"_But brother, it is my fault. Don't you realize that it was I who seduced you a__nd tainted you with my darkness?" Tseng explained, pulling back. "You should not be here. I am not in control and I'm afraid I will cause you more harm."_

"_Don't say that! You never seduced or tainted me. I love you and you've only ever brought me happiness and contentment," his brother pleaded. "These past years without you have been unbearable. I've missed you so much and… and all I want is to be with you again. That's why I came here; to save you and take you away. We can go together across the sea, far away from mother and father. Don't you see that we can finally be together, free of their hate?"_

"_But brother, aren't you married now? You are the next leader of our household and are responsible for __continuing our line. If you were to leave with me, it would bring shame upon our family… they would be forever outcast and what would happen to your wife?" Tseng argued, looking up into his brother's eyes. He wanted so much to say yes, to run away forever and lose himself in the darkness of his love for his sibling, but he had learnt how wrong that was now, how he had to fight those feelings that would destroy them all._

"_I don't care about our fucking family, Tseng! The only one I care about is you!" his brother hissed. "By the Gods, what have they done to you? To make you say such things and believe that this is your fault… I should __have never let them take you. I should have fought harder to keep you by my side. I'm so sorry, Tseng. I was a coward and because of it, you have suffered so much." Tseng watched as tears began to fall down his brother's face, his hand coming up to wipe them away._

"_But… but I'm just hurting you, even now," Tseng whispered._

"_What's hurting me is you blaming yourself for this. Tseng, our love is not evil… it can't be when everything only feels right with you in my arms," his brother insisted._

"_But uncle said… I mean, everyone else thinks it's wrong. How can it be right? We are brothers and even the gods say that what we did was evil, just a temptation of the flesh and a weakness of the soul," Tseng mumbled, climbing off the bed and backing away from his brother._

"_Uncle is wrong, mother and father are wrong. I don't care what the gods say, I only care about what I feel in my heart," his brother whispered, looking up at him. Those eyes that he'd almost forgotten locked onto his and Tseng couldn't look away, even though he felt like he was drowning. "Tseng, if you can look me in the eye and tell me you don't love me, I will leave and never bother you again."_

_Tseng opened his mouth, but the lie refused to be spoken. He loved his brother, but he also knew his love would be the end of them all. Tseng refused to be the reason for the downfall of the man before him. He ducked his head, shame filling him as his brother stood and walked towards him, arms wrapping around him and holding him tight. It felt so right, the warmth, even the smell making his body react instantly. This would never end until he ended it. Without the ability to reject his brother, there was only one way to save him._

"_Then you'll come with me?" his brother asked, the hope in his eyes tearing Tseng's heart in two._

"_Yes, brother. I'll come with you," Tseng replied. "First, I need to gather some things." His brother released him, smiling so brightly, Tseng had to look away._

"_Hurry, little one. I have a bag here with money and supplies. I also have tickets on an airship leaving in the morning for Midgar. It's a huge city and they'll never find us there. I paid off the guards and unlocked the back door, so all we have to do is walk out of here and we're free," his brother rambled excitedly, going to the door and looking out of it as Tseng went to the cupboard in the corner and opened the little box full of tranquilizers. His uncle had used them on him many times, Tseng never understood what for, but he knew that the effect was immediate. He prepared the syringe, his whole body becoming numb as he steeled himself. For his brother, to save him from all of this, Tseng would be strong._

_Holding the syringe behind his back, he walked towards his brother, the older man immediately turning and smiling down at him. "I love you, Tseng. Together we will find the happiness that has been denied us so long," he whispered, taking the youth in his arms once more._

"_I do love you brother," Tseng whispered. "More than I can find words to describe. Please remember that, no matter what happens, I will always love you." Tseng raised the syringe behind his brother's back, tears falling as he brought it up to his brother's neck, his other hand holding on tightly around the older man's waist as he injected its contents quickly._

"_Owe, what was that?" his brother exclaimed, pulling back and causing Tseng to drop the syringe. "What… what is the syringe… what…," he stuttered, stumbling towards the bed. Tseng's tears wouldn't stop, the pain unbearable as he watched his brother face contort into shock and fear. "But you said… you said…"_

"_I love you enough to know you will never be free of me. I will go… and never return… and then you can… have the life you always deserved…free of my taint… free of me. Be strong brother… make everyone proud," Tseng sobbed, backing towards the open door._

"_But…no… don't do this! Please… don't leave…Tseng," his brother begged, fighting the effects of the drugs. He tried to stand up and fell to the floor and Tseng couldn't stand to see anymore, grabbing the bag his brother had brought with him and leaving the room. He snuck quietly through the halls, finding the back door open, as his brother had promised and sneaking out and into the night. It was the only way to make things right, to save his brother from himself._

_***..***_

Tseng awoke calling out for his brother, his face wet with tears as the memories taunted him mercilessly. He felt arms encircle him, pulling his face against a bare chest as whispers of comfort broke through the haze of his dreams.

"It's alright, I'm here, Tseng," Rufus crooned, the younger man's voice full of concern as he rocked the Wutain against his chest. Tseng couldn't stop the tears, sobbing uncontrollably as the President continued to comfort and hold him. All he could do was cling to the blonde and let the tears flow.

Some time later, his tears ebbed away but he still clung to the blonde, afraid to let go of the one he loved, even if Rufus didn't return his feelings. The President's hand was softly caressing his hair, the touch reminding him of the way his brother used to calm him and the memory stung, making him hold Rufus even tighter. "I'm so sorry," he mumbled into the other man's chest.

"You have nothing to apologize for," Rufus whispered, kissing the top of his head. "I want to be here for you and I want you to know that I love you, no matter what happens."

Tseng's breath caught and he pulled back to look up into the blonde's eyes. "You… you love me?" he said, his disbelief clear.

"Yes, I love you, Tseng. More than I care to admit," Rufus murmured, smiling as his hand moved from the Wutain's hair to cup his cheek. "Even after you threatened to fuck me with my own gun."

Tseng paled as he remembered what he'd done to Rufus, holding him down and humiliating him because he thought the President didn't love him, thought the blonde only loved Yazoo. "Gods, I'm so sorry, Rufus. I thought… I mean…"

"I already told you, no apologies. Besides, I… well, I have to admit that I liked it," Rufus said, blushing as he looked away. Tseng just stared, his mind trying to come to terms with the blonde's words. Rufus looked back towards him and smiled, still blushing. "Okay, so I'm a pervert. Should have known that myself, but there you go. You're still managing to teach me things, all these years later."

The Turk still couldn't find any words, just lying halfway on top of the blonde as he continued to stare. Rufus loved him, even after he'd humiliated him and said so many cruel things to him. Somehow the blonde still loved him.

"Tseng, please say something and stop staring at me. I'm starting to worry," Rufus whispered, his hand dropping away from the Wutain's face. "Is it that you don't want me now? Because that's okay too. If… if you don't want me, I'll still be here for you. That's if you want me to be… I mean… shit," the President muttered nervously, biting his bottom lip.

"I want you and I love you, Rufus," Tseng said huskily, grabbing the blonde's face and kissing him gently as he climbed up over him. Rufus moaned into his mouth, his arms clinging to the Wutain desperately. Tseng pulled back enough to look into the President's blue eyes, finding his smile as his heart swelled in his chest. "I love you, Rufus and I am sorry for treating you so badly. I will never hurt you again."

Rufus smiled back, a real smile full of happiness that made Tseng's heart miss a beat. It had been so long since he'd seen the youth smile like that. "Will you hurt me again if I ask you to?" the blonde asked, his smile turning devious as his hand crept down to squeeze the Wutain's half hard erection.

"You really are a pervert, aren't you?" Tseng answered, his own smile growing darker as Rufus released his cock. "Luckily for you, I like that in a man." He leant in to suck up a mark on the blonde's neck, just beneath his ear, and the younger man groaned and pushed his hips up into the Wutain's.

"Gods, Tseng. Don't stop… please don't stop," Rufus whimpered, writhing beneath him. "I want you so much; want you to take me."

Tseng growled at his words, moving up to capture his lips again. The blonde opened his mouth to him immediately, sucking on the Wutain's tongue and spreading his legs apart as his arms circled Tseng's neck. The Wutain was already so hard, the President's words going straight to his cock and making him want to take the willing body beneath him immediately. He pulled back once more, breathing in deep to restrain himself. He would not hurt Rufus again and he was determined to show him how much he loved him this time.

Tseng leant in to kiss him gently this time, their lips barely touching as he ghosted kisses over them. The blonde began whimpering, trying to pull closer to get more contact and the Wutain smiled at his enthusiasm before moving his lip's caresses down the younger man's jaw. Rufus' hands where moving again, roving over his bare skin as if the blonde couldn't get enough of the feel of him. One hand came to rest in the Wutain's hair, threading through the strands and fisting as Tseng moved down and began gently tormenting one of Rufus' nipples.

"Tseng!" the President hissed, arching up beneath him. "Stop teasing and fuck me already."

"Patience, Rufus," Tseng purred, moving down to kiss the blonde's stomach, loving the way the muscles trembled beneath his lips.

Rufus whimpered again and the Wutain looked down at the blonde's cock, already dripping as it twitched between them. Tseng laid kisses down towards it, moving to the side at the last minute to lick lightly over one hip as Rufus cursed in frustration. Taking pity on his lover, the Turk moved to the blonde's cock, sucking on the end as his tongue flicked over the top. Rufus was panting; the hand in Tseng's hair fisting and pulling hard but it only spurred the Wutain on. His own hands held down the blonde's hips, to keep him still as he continued down the shaft until his nose was resting against blonde curls.

"Holy fucking Hyne," Rufus whimpered, his other hand joining the first in Tseng's hair as the Turk began to move, slipping his lips back to the end before sucking the whole length back into his throat once more. "Tseng… gods, please…," the blonde muttered, his back arching. "Keep doing that… and I'm gonna come." The Wutain hummed, ignoring the President as he sped up his movements, loving the response he was getting from Rufus.

Tseng glanced up to find Rufus resting up on his elbows, watching him through half closed eyes and continuing to moan. He released the younger man's hips and stilled his movements, reaching his hand up to trace the blonde's lips. Rufus took his fingers into his mouth eagerly, sucking on them as he began to move his hips, pushing his own cock in and out of Tseng's mouth. The Wutain pulled his fingers free, his own erection demanding he hurry things up as it throbbed for attention.

"Tseng… you look so good on my cock… gods… I'm already so close," Rufus whimpered, his hips increasing their pace as Tseng rubbed over his entrance with two wet fingers, finally slipping one inside and pushing in up to the second knuckle. The blonde pushed back against it before hissing and jerking forward into his mouth.

"Fuck," Rufus moaned, his hips erratically thrusting back and fourth as he lost control and came, the warm liquid swallowed down eagerly by his Turk lover. He finally collapsed bonelessly back onto the bed, breathing hard and whispering the Wutain's name as Tseng continued to suckle on the end of his cock.

TBC


	12. Revelations

**Title - The Measure of a Man **

**Fandom – FFVII**

**Characters – Yazoo, Kadaj, Loz, Tseng, Reno, Rude, Rufus**

**Warnings this chapter – yaoi, swearing, sex, mentions of incest.**

**Disclaimer – Don't own the boys, just playing with them**

**Note – Story begins immediately after Advent Children**

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_Thanks to the following awesome people for their reviews!_

_*paint-tin - (pressure? okay, since you asked so nicely! LOL)  
*vIoLeT bUtTeRfLy 90 - (Tseng has problems... honestly, I think he just needs to get laid...lol)  
*Labe - (*huggles* yes I am evil... LOL.. but hopefully, this chapter makes up for it! Thankyou so much love)_

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**Chapter 12 – ****Revelations**

Rufus whimpered pathetically, hating the noise but not being able to hold it back as Tseng continued to suckle on his over sensitized cock. "Tseng… damn you," he panted, resting up on his elbows as he tried to wriggle away. "I wanted to come… with you inside. Why did you do that?" His wriggling stopped abruptly when he realized that there were still fingers inside of him, fucking him slowly.

The Wutain pulled back, looking up at him with a grin. "You _are_ going to come with me inside, Mr President," he purred, licking over the blonde's shaft while his eyes stayed locked onto Rufus'. "But only when I'm ready."

Once again his cock was surrounded by his Turk's warm mouth and Rufus closed his eyes and hissed. His shaft was already hardening again as the Wutain continued, the blonde losing the urge to bitch as he concentrated on the sensations assaulting his body. His eyes fluttered open, looking down to find his own legs spread wide, knees bent up, his body completely exposed to his lover's ministrations. It should have been embarrassing, maybe even humiliating, but Rufus couldn't convince himself to care. It was just too arousing to see the head of the Turks, the invincible Tseng, swallowing down his cock so greedily.

"Tseng," he whined, his face blushing. "Enough… please." He moved a hand down to the Wutain's dark hair and tugged on it. "Wanna kiss," he whispered, hating how needy he sounded. His lover released his cock, moving up and licking his lips while his fingers continued to move inside the blonde.

"Rufus," Tseng whispered against his lips, his kisses short and too gentle for Rufus' liking. "Tell me you want this. I need to hear your voice… your words… you."

"Tseng, I need you… to fuck me," Rufus demanded huskily, bringing both hands up to grab the back of Tseng's head so he could kiss the other man hard, forcing his tongue between the Wutain's lips. Tseng moaned into his mouth, removing the fingers that had been fucking him so steadily and the blonde trembled.

Rufus felt the tip of Tseng's cock brushing against his entry and he pulled his legs up as far as he could, trying to push himself onto his lover's shaft. "Gods, you're so eager," Tseng gasped, leaning back on one arm to watch Rufus' face as he began to push inside. The President was writhing, thrusting his hips up to meet the Turk's slow entry, not caring about the burn or any pain it might cause as his hands moved down to the Wutain's ass and pulled their hips together hard.

Both men moaned loudly, Tseng from the tight heat squeezing him and Rufus from the sting caused by his own impatience. The Wutain stopped still against the blonde, his weight pinning him down and making it impossible for the President to thrust at all.

"Rufus," Tseng growled, leaning in to suck up a mark on Rufus neck. The President was trying to move his hips, fighting the Turk's insistence on staying still and ignoring the other man's warning growl.

"Damn it, Tseng! Just move," Rufus demanded, his face flushed as he panted and continued his wriggling. "I'm not a fucking girl and I want you to fuck me hard."

"No," whispered the Wutain, so close to Rufus that his breath tickled the blonde's ear. "Is that what you do to Yazoo? Do you fuck him hard, not waiting for him to adjust? Do you hurt him, Mr President?"

His Turk's words struck a cord in Rufus, making his body still beneath Tseng's. "No," he answered, frowning in confusion. "I would never hurt Yazoo."

"Then why do you think I would hurt you?" Tseng replied, sitting back enough to look into Rufus' eyes. The blonde looked back at him, lust refusing to let his mind form an answer. Sephiroth was always hard, taking him with no gentleness and the President just expected it that way but he didn't want to mention the other man's name right now. Both men stared at each other until finally, the Wutain pulled his hips back and slowly thrust forward. Rufus' squeezed his eyes closed in preparation for the pain but he was surprised when there was none. The burn was still there, but as Tseng continued to move so slowly in and out, it even faded leaving nothing but the feeling of fullness.

Opening his eyes, he looked up the Wutain, his back arching as the older man's cock changed angles to rub against his prostate with every gentle pass. "Tseng," he whispered, one hand staying on Tseng backside while the other came up thread into dark locks. "Gods… feels so… ," he stuttered out between breaths, his own hips beginning to move in time with the Turk's.

"Yes," Tseng hissed in reply, his eyes so intense as he slowly increased his speed, his movements still slower than Sephiroth had ever been. "This is… making love… Rufus," he panted out before capturing the President's lips in a languid kiss that matched his thrusts perfectly.

Rufus lost himself in the experience, not noticing as his Turk kept increasing the speed and strength of his thrusts. By the time their lips broke apart, the blonde gasping for breath, Tseng was slamming into him, the headboard of the bed smacking against the wall in a continuous beat. Rufus' brain had ceased to function beyond staring at the beautiful man before him, his body completely under the other's control.

Suddenly, Tseng wrapped his arms around Rufus' waist, sitting back on his knees and pulling the blonde up with him. The President ended up in his lover's lap, writhing and wrapping himself around the other man who continued to thrust up into him. The new position rubbed his cock between their stomachs, the friction pushing him towards orgasm too fast.

"Tseng… don't want… to stop," Rufus whimpered, clinging tightly to the Turk as his body began to tense and the Wutain's thrusts became erratic.

"Let go… baby… come for me," Tseng panted, the older man's words pushing him over the edge and into an orgasm that seemed to last so long, Rufus' body spasming almost painfully as he rode out the intense feeling. When he finally regained some sense of his surroundings, Tseng was laying gentle kisses all over his face, the evidence of the Wutain's own climax warm within him.

"Don't ever leave me," Rufus whispered, unaware of the tears that were falling down his own face.

"Never," Tseng replied, pulling the blonde into his embrace and holding him tightly.

***..***

"Loz, what is it that you're so happy about? I can't sleep with your thoughts banging into my head," Kadaj whined, opening his eyes and sitting up to peer down into his brother's eyes. Loz was wide awake, his face smiling up at the youngest as Yazoo stirred and looked up as well.

"I'm excited about what Rude said before he left. I wonder if Reno is kissing him back right know and what else they're doing out there," the eldest replied, making Kadaj frown at him.

"I was trying not to think about that," the youngest whined, resting his head back down on Loz's chest and pouting. Kadaj could feel Yazoo's hand come up and thread through his hair and he sighed.

"Why wouldn't you want to think about that?" Loz asked, looking at him in confusion. "I thought you wanted it to happen too."

"I do want it to happen!" Kadaj exclaimed, sitting up again. "I just don't want to think about it right now, okay?" He could feel his temper rising and he crossed his arms, turning away from them both to stare at the far wall.

"Daj, why are you angry?" Yazoo asked, his hand reaching out to rest on the youngest's shoulder.

"I… I don't know," Kadaj muttered. "I suppose… I'm kinda worried about what will happen now."

"What's there to worry about, Daj? All I did was tell Rude how much I like Reno and he was really interested. He asked me what I liked about him and when I started liking him. Then he asked me if I liked Reno more than him and I said no, that Rude would always be the most important to me, just like Reno would always be the most important to you," Loz said, his hand moving to grasp onto his youngest brother's. "We're not trying to take him away from you, brother. We just want to play with him too."

"What about me?" Kadaj asked, biting his bottom lip as he turned back towards his brothers. "Does Rude like me?"

"Yes, he said he's attracted to both you and Reno. You should of seen how he was when we were watching the two of you together that night. His eyes kept darting back and fourth, like he couldn't work out which of you he wanted to look at more," Loz said with a chuckle, bringing Kadaj's hand up to kiss the back of it. "Although, he was worried that Reno might not want to share you so he's going to talk to him about the four of us playing together," Loz said.

"Oh… well, that's… okay then," Kadaj replied, frowning as he looked away from the eldest.

"Daj, are you sure that's okay with you?" Yazoo asked, reaching out to turn his face back towards them. His middle brother looked worried and Kadaj met his eyes with confusion in his own.

"Yes. I'm the one who said that I wanted all four of us to play," he murmured, trying to work out what the bad feeling was, deep in his chest. "I just… got a funny feeling."

Yazoo tilted his head to one side as he continued to look at him. "A funny feeling?"

Kadaj bit his lip again, closing his eyes as he tried to identify what bothered him about it all. He thought about that night, how much he'd wanted to be able to touch Loz and Rude with Reno and have all of them together. It was still arousing to think about, so that wasn't it. He turned his thoughts to just Rude and Reno, outside the room right now kissing and maybe doing more and the ache came back. Suddenly he realized what it was that bothered him about it and he opened his eyes to meet Yazoo's gaze.

"Will he still want me once he's been with Rude?" he whispered, his eyes wide and fearful.

"Of course he will!" Yazoo exclaimed, sitting up and pulling the youngest into a hug over the top of Loz. "Daj, Reno loves you more than anything. I've watched the way he looks at you, the way he fusses over you and worries, even when he's angry with you."

"Then why does it hurt to think about him and Rude together? It never hurt before," Kadaj mumbled into his chest, feeling Loz sit up and wrap his arms around them both.

"Because you love him back now, Daj," the eldest said softly. "When you love somebody there's always the fear that you'll lose them. Before, you were just attracted to him so the fear wasn't there."

Kadaj thought over Loz's words carefully. _Do I really love Reno?_ He'd only ever loved his brothers before but what he felt for Reno was different, stronger, and the thought of losing the redhead had hurt. "I… I don't understand," he finally whispered. "I didn't feel anything change. Shouldn't I have felt something when like turned to love?"

Yazoo hummed, squeezing him tightly and kissing the top of his head. "Sometimes love creeps up on you when you're not looking, little brother. Sometimes you don't know it's there until it hurts."

Kadaj sighed, resigning himself to the fact that somehow, he'd fallen in love with Reno. Both his brothers understanding so much about love when he knew so little was embarrassing and he could feel his face blush so he kept it hidden. "When did both of you get so smart anyway," he grumbled, snuggling in closer to their bodies as they chuckled at him. Brothers could be _so_ annoying sometimes.

***..***

Rude had completely forgotten all about being on alert in case Rufus called them to help him with Tseng. Such an unprofessional mistake was not like the quiet Turk, but with Reno spread across the dinner table before him, naked and writhing, one couldn't really blame him for his transgression. The fact that it was him that had caused the redhead to be in this state only added to the thrill.

"Reno, it's criminal how good you look right now," he growled, the smell of cloves filling the air as he continued to prepare his partner with his favorite cooking oil. He leaned in to kiss and bite down one pale thigh as the redhead began moaning loudly, his other hand stroking his partner's cock slowly. He already had three fingers inside Reno, twisting and teasing, but he was enjoying the show too much to move on just yet.

"R… Rude," Reno whimpered, his hips moving in time with Rude's fingers in a slow, sensual dance. "Want… please… f… fuck," the redhead begged incoherently, his words having disintegrated from phrases to single words over ten minutes ago. Rude just smiled, his own cock aching but still he didn't stop, keeping up the slow pace that kept Reno on the edge but didn't allow him to get any further.

"I could keep you like this forever," he murmured, licking a line up Reno's cock slowly as the redhead bucked up, only to whine when the quiet Turk backed away again.

"Bas… tard," Reno whispered, his hands gripping the sides of the table so hard that his knuckles had gone white. Rude was pleasantly surprised at his control, having told the redhead to keep his hands there right back when he'd begun preparing him. Reno had not moved them, somehow managing to keep them in place no matter what Rude did to him.

"You have been very good, though. Keeping your hands where I told you for all this time," Rude conceded, adding a fourth finger that made the redhead moan so loudly that Rude was suddenly reminded that they were in the middle of the kitchen, where anyone could walk in and find them. The thought of being discovered only amped up his own arousal though, pushing him to finally move on to the next step before the ache from between his own legs became unbearable.

"F… fuck me… please," Reno gasped, the skin on his face blushing to match his hair as he stared up at Rude through eyes barely open. Sweat had dampened the hair around his face, leaving it a darker hue than the strands spread out on the table under him and Rude memorized the scene, determined it wouldn't be the last time he would witness his partner coming undone under his control.

"As you wish," he growled, finally slipping his fingers free and lining up his straining erection at the redheads entrance. He paused once more, lifting Reno's legs over his shoulders and bending his partner in half as he began to slowly push inside. Even with the prolonged preparation, it was still a tight fit, his own girth more than was usual. Rude paused once the head of his cock was inside, taking it slow to ensure he caused his partner no pain.

Closing his eyes, he let his mind wander to control the urge to push, waiting for Reno's muscles to adjust to the invasion. He remembered the night he and Loz had watched his partner and Kadaj, joining together almost violently. Both of them were so fiery that the intensity of their sex was not unexpected, which was one of the reasons that Rude insisted on taking it so slow with Reno. He wanted the redhead to be out of his comfort zone, to see his partner beg and writhe.

"M… move! F… fuck, Rude… move," Reno whimpered, interrupting Rude's thoughts and bringing him back to the present with a jolt. The redhead was murmuring a continuous stream of curses now, words mixing together in a blur of abuse and frustration. Rude could only smile down at him affectionately before beginning to push inside, slowly sheathing himself in Reno's body.

Still only half way in he had to pause again, the redhead tightening up on him and squeezing his eyes closed. Rude swore himself, having to bite his own lip to keep himself still as his cock was clenched in a vice grip. "Reno… relax," he panted, his hands stroking down the other man's sides gently. "I don't… want to hurt you, open your eyes," Rude pleaded, untangling an arm to cup his partner's face. "Please… look at me." Reno slowly opened his eyes, looking dazedly up into Rude's face with a expression filled with vulnerability.

"Sorry," the redhead mumbled, his face blushing red.

"Don't apologize," Rude whispered, leaning in to kiss him gently. "Are you sure… you want this?." To have to stop at this point would nearly kill Rude, but he had to be sure that Reno wasn't having second thoughts.

"Want this… don't stop," Reno husked out, his eyes locked onto Rude's as he smiled a small smile and wriggled his hips a little. Rude moaned at the movement, swearing as he tried to keep still and causing the redhead to chuckle beneath him.

Growling and nipping at Reno's bottom lip, he slowly began moving again when the body beneath him finally began to relax, keeping a close eye on the redhead's expression to ensure that he wasn't hurting him. His partner kept his eyes open, locked onto Rude's as his arms came up to wrap around the other's neck.

He reached one had down to play with the redheads cock, stroking it gently as he continued to slowly thrust in and out, only moving a little in the tight heat that surrounded him. "So beautiful," he mumbled, kissing the redhead slowly until Reno began moving his hips up to meet him, the redhead's kisses becoming more aggressive. Rude tried to keep it slow, to draw out the experience but as soon as Reno began scratching his back he lost control, slamming into the body beneath him so hard that the table began to move across the kitchen floor.

"Nnnn… fuck… yes," Reno panted, throwing his head back to reveal his pale throat. Rude began to nip and suck his partners pale flesh, his own climax only moments away.

"Come for me, Red," he gasped before biting down hard, sending Reno into an orgasm that left the redhead arching like a bow, his inner muscles clamping down on Rude almost painfully. It was too much for Rude, his own body following Reno's into bliss blindly as he called his partner's name.

***..***

Although his body was relaxed, Rufus' mind would not still, his mind racing and keeping him from slipping into the sleep that called so temptingly. Tseng's heartbeat thudded slowly under his ear as he lay curled half way across him, his eyes closed, but Rufus knew the older man wasn't sleeping from the hand that was still caressing his hair.

"You're not going to go to sleep, are you?" Tseng's voice murmured, his eyes opening to peer down at the President.

"I was trying, but…," Rufus mumbled, frowning as he tried to think of a way to phrase all the questions running around his head. The Wutain sighed deeply and the blonde bit his lip again, not wanting to ruin such a tranquil moment. Rufus cursed his own psychotic need to know everything about the things that he cared for, wishing he could just let it go and pretend it never happened.

"You want to know what was wrong with me before," Tseng whispered, his eyes closing again as his forehead crinkled up in a frown of his own.

"Yes, I… I need to know," Rufus responded, sitting up to reach a hand up to cup one of Tseng's cheeks. "I thought I'd lost you. Whatever is hurting you inside… I need to know what it is so I can fight it… make it better and take away the pain."

"You can't fight memories, Rufus," Tseng whispered, opening up his eyes to met the blondes with a sad smile. "Although, you just being here does numb the pain…." The Wutain's words drifted off, his eyes locked onto Rufus'.

"B...but I…," Rufus stuttered, trying to think of some way to push the issue without hurting Tseng again. He couldn't just drop it, no matter how much he tried to convince himself it was the best thing to do and his mouth began to move without his permission. "It's got to do with you family hasn't it?"

Tseng instantly tensed beneath him and sat up, pushing him to the side as he moved to get up, making the blonde feel like biting off his own tongue. _Shit, shit, shit, shit…,_ his mind muttered.

"You've been digging into things that you have no right to," the Wutain growled, sitting on the edge of the bed with his back to Rufus.

"Well, what the fuck did you expect me to do?" the blonde exclaimed, his desperation making his own temper flare. "You're always in control, nothing hurts you and then suddenly you're screaming and pulling your hair. I was calling your name and you were muttering all this shit and I was so fucking scared! Did you expect me to just do nothing? For fucks sake, Tseng… I love you!"

Rufus stared at the back of Tseng's head, watching as the Wutain's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Okay, Rufus. You want to know everything than so be it, but be warned. You'll probably never want to touch me again afterwards," he answered flatly, standing up and pulling on his pants before walking towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Rufus asked, not able to keep the panic out of his voice.

"I'll be back in a second," was Tseng's mumbled reply, leaving Rufus to wonder if this wasn't the biggest mistake he'd ever made. He grabbed his own pants, pulling them on incase the Wutain didn't come back, sitting nervously on the bed as he waited. When the door finally opened again, a old tattered book was thrown into his lap, Tseng meeting his eyes sadly. "Everything is in there. I'm going to lay down," the Turk muttered, turning and closing the door behind him.

Rufus was torn between running after Tseng to apologize, or staying were he was and reading the book that seemed to contain all the answers to his questions. He knew that his Turk was hurting, but he also knew that this one his one and only chance to find out what haunted Tseng to the point of breakdown and he had to know, to be able to try and make things better for the stoic man he loved. Rufus knew he couldn't pass up this opportunity and could only hope that Tseng would forgive his insistence to know the truth.

Rufus looked down at the book in his hands and tentatively opened to the first page to find it was Tseng's diary. There was a message on the inside cover, a scrawled birthday greeting from someone called Sian wishing Tseng a happy 12th birthday and telling him a good place to hide the diary from their parents. Rufus assumed Sian was Tseng's older brother, there being no record of any other siblings. He settled back on the bed and began at the beginning, smiling as he read the ramblings of Tseng as a child. He was surprised to find out that his Turk loved to paint, draw and read, more than anything else. It didn't fit with the Tseng he knew, this child seemingly gentle and innocent, naive in ways that Rufus couldn't even remember being himself.

The blonde couldn't help be captivated by the book as he continued to read, it becoming obvious that Tseng loved his brother and idolized him. Around six months into it, things begun to change, a frustrated darkness creeping into the entries. Tseng's parents were beginning to try and push him into being more of a man, taking away his painting and drawing supplies and his books, leaving the boy crushed.

Then there were entries that made Rufus angry, Tseng's parents telling him that he was strange and embarrassing, that he had to change and become someone different. He was made to go out and play with children that didn't like him, bullied and beaten up for being too feminine. He told his parents and got no sympathy, his father telling him that it was good for him, to toughen him up and make him a man.

The diary began to be filled with pictures too then, images sketched amongst the words of animals, people, even scenery, as the young Tseng began to illustrate his diary entries, desperate to draw. Rufus paused on a picture under an entry about Sian, amazed at Tseng's skill at such a tender age. His brother was beautiful, looking very similar to Tseng but with a thicker build, his smile kind and welcoming. The entry talked about Sian taking Tseng to a neighboring town for a festival, buying the younger more art supplies and letting him keep them in his brother's room in a locked box. Sian had told Tseng that he was talented and shouldn't let their parents dissuade him from his love of art, letting the younger boy spend hours in his brother's room, creating art away from his parent's critical eyes. Rufus smiled, happy that even though Tseng's parents were cruel and cold, the boy still had his brother, someone who accepted him as he was and encouraged him not to change.

There seemed to be more and more pictures of Sian as the book continued, Tseng's older brother featuring in every entry for the next few months. It was clear that he was Tseng's only source of happiness and love, the younger becoming obsessed with the older as time went on. Then there was an entry that stated Sian had kissed Tseng and the younger boy was confused about it. His entries talked about wanting to do it again, how right it had felt, even though Tseng knew it was wrong.

Things began to escalate, Tseng admitting that he was pushing for more even though Sian refused to take things between them all the way. His older brother said he wouldn't take Tseng until he was eighteen but both continued to do everything else together, their play nearly going all the way a few times but Sian always managed to stop it, much to Tseng's ire. Rufus had to chuckle at that, funnily not disturbed by the brother's relationship, but amused at Tseng's determination.

Just after Tseng's thirteenth birthday, there was a large gap in the entries, a good six months passing before the next one. The entry was in the same handwriting, but seemed like it was written by someone else, as it was so cold and direct, stating the fact that their parents had walked in on Tseng and his brother together and ostracized Tseng from the family, sending him away to live with his uncle and aunty. It listed out his chores and his daily punishments for being 'evil and sinful'. There were no longer any illustrations, just words with no emotion as the Wutain kept repeating over and over how he'd shamed his family and tainted his brother. There were mentions of how determined he was to become a better person, to fix what was wrong within himself so that his family would take him back. Hardest of all for Rufus to read was the entries when Tseng had said he'd deserved his punishment, beatings and constant whippings something that the boy had come to expect for being who he was.

Then, suddenly after two years of monthly entries that tore at Rufus' heart, there was one entry that was different. Finally, Tseng's parents were coming to visit and the boy was determined to prove that he was 'fixed' in the hope they would take him back. His uncle had given him words to memories and tell his parents and they were repeated on the next three pages, over and over like a mantra that made Rufus feel like throwing up.

"_I accept what happened was my fault. I used my body to corrupt my brother out of jealousy and spiritual weakness. I am strong now and I will defeat the darkness in my spirit. I will become a man you can be proud of."_

There was a last entry, saying that in a couple of hours his parents would arrive and how excited he was and hopeful that he would succeed but then nothing else, the remaining pages blank and heart-wrenchingly bare. All he found was two tickets tucked into the back cover for an airship to Midgar, one stamped as used and the other pristine and untouched.

***..***

TBC


	13. Clarity

**Title - The Measure of a Man **

**Fandom – FFVII**

**Characters – Yazoo, Kadaj, Loz, Tseng, Reno, Rude, Rufus**

**Warnings this chapter – yaoi, swearing, incest, sex**

**Disclaimer – Don't own the boys, just playing with them**

**Note – Story begins immediately after Advent Children**

* * *

**Chapter 13 – Clarity**

Tseng came to consciousness slowly, groggy and still tired from a night full of dreams tainted by memories he'd rather forget. Beneath the lids of his eyes, he could still see the shadow of his brother's face… the despair etched into every curve and line…the last time he'd ever looked upon it. In his dreams, Sian's face kept blurring and changing, other's taking his form, just as they had Tseng's heart. Then his brother's face would return, just as his guilt and anguish always did. He could only curse his mind, hating how his dreams, even at their most abstract, still made perfect sense to him.

He forced his eyes open to dispel the vision, only to find a tangle of blonde strands perched on his chest… blonde strands that belonged to one of the ghosts who haunted his dreams. A part of him was convinced that he was still asleep, that his twisted subconsciousness had decided he hadn't suffered enough for one night. It couldn't be true, Rufus couldn't be here after reading of all his sins…. could he?

Lifting a hand so slowly that it trembled, he reached out towards the vision of his lover, his heartbeat thumping loudly in his ears as nervousness and fear combined and tried to steal his breath away. Just as he was about to touch, just as the outmost strands tickled the tips of his fingers, Rufus stirred, turning his face upwards to gaze at him sleepily.

"Tseng," the blonde murmured roughly, his voice little more than a whisper as the corners of his mouth rose into a small smile. Tseng could only stare back, frozen in place as he waited for his lover's face to blur, for his appearance to change, just as it always did in his dreams.

Rufus seemed to notice something was wrong, his dazed eyes clearing in a heartbeat as his smile disappeared. Blue eyes flicked to Tseng's outstretched hand and back to his lover's face, fear and concern making the blonde's pupils widen.

"Tseng? What's wrong?" Rufus asked, uncertainty bleeding into his voice as he sat up, his hand warm on the Turk's cheek as it caressed gently. "Can you hear me?"

"Y… you're really here?" Tseng whispered, his hand finally moving to thread through soft blonde hair. "I'm not still asleep?"

The younger man smirked, lifting an eyebrow in a look that was arrogant enough to convince Tseng that this was indeed the real Rufus Shinra. In his dreams, Rufus was always so sweet….

"You dream about me?" the blonde asked, looking far too pleased at the idea. "Oh, do tell."

"Nightmares, actually," Tseng answered, a small grin forming on his own lips as he let his eyes drink in the other's face. Rufus scoffed, pouting as he withdrew his hand from Tseng's cheek.

"Liar. If they were nightmares, you wouldn't look so happy to see me now," he retorted, his pout morphing into a self-satisfied grin.

"I'm happy because having you in reality is far better than having you in my dreams," Tseng consented, deciding to give Rufus this victory. "Although, you are sweeter in my dreams."

"Sweet? Oh, goddess, that is a nightmare," Rufus retorted, looking horrified enough to make Tseng chuckle out loud.

"They're my dreams and I'll have you as I wish in them," the Head Turk replied, his eyes watching as the President decided whether to argue or not. Finally, the young man just sighed, smiling as he settled back onto Tseng's chest, his chin resting on his folded hands.

"It is good to see you smile again," he mused, slightly leaning into the hand that still threaded through his hair. "It's been far too rare a sight lately."

"You're good for me," Tseng simply replied, enjoying the sight of Rufus' smile widening. The young man's ego was so easy to stroke up, the same as certain other parts of him.

"As are you for me," Rufus replied, tilting his head on one side as he continued. "But enough of this mutual ass kissing. There are other things we need to discuss."

Tseng sighed, knowing that the next subject would not be so pleasant. "So, I assume you read my diary," he murmured softly, looking out the nearby window but still stroking his lover's hair. "And yet here you are, by my side."

"Why wouldn't I be? There is nothing in that book that you need be ashamed of," Rufus said stubbornly, a challenge clear in his voice. "Although, it clearly shows that some others should be ashamed of their actions."

"You think it was Sian's fault?" Tseng bit back, his eyes jerking back to Rufus with a frown as his temper flared in defence of his brother.

"I didn't say that, Tseng. It's your parents and your relatives that should be ashamed, not you or Sian," Rufus muttered, frowning back at the older man. "You really thought I would blame you or your brother? Honestly, Tseng, by your age I would think you would have worked out who was at fault in that scenario."

"What we did was wrong, Rufus. Even you can't deny that," Tseng replied, but his voice lacked conviction. "Ask anybody, anywhere and they will tell you that what we did was wrong and twisted."

"Oh, bullshit! Me fucking Lazard over our father's desk is wrong and twisted. You and your brother falling in love in a household ruled by cold, judgemental parents who wouldn't accept you the way the goddess made you, isn't," Rufus retorted, sitting up again and stubbornly gazing down at his lover.

"You fucked Lazard over your father's desk?" Tseng asked, one eyebrow rising up.

"That's not the point, Tseng. The point is, you and Sian only had each other to cling to, only had each other to love and give and receive affection from. It was your other family members that made it wrong by tearing you away from each other and blaming the child that they could spare, the one who wasn't going to inherit the role of family leader. Those bastards never really cared for either of you, only for what they could use you for," Rufus insisted, his frown deepening. "Unfortunately, I am all too familiar with their type."

"Looks like maybe we have more in common than I realized," Tseng whispered, sitting up to pull the blonde into his embrace. "How did you bare it? At least I had Sian to help me through, but you were all alone."

"I wasn't that alone. After all, I had you eventually," Rufus' replied, his words muffled by Tseng's chest. "Kinda explains my obsession with you."

"One I was completely unaware of. I wish you would have told me earlier," the Turk said softly, his hands rubbing over the President's back. "I was just as obsessed with you, after all. Think of all the fun we could have had together."

Rufus chuckled, pulling back so he could look into the Wutain's eyes. "Well, we'll just have to make up for it now, won't we? Speaking of obsessions and fun, there is one last subject that I must bring up that you are not going to like."

Tseng frowned, not really wanting to have to discuss anything else after everything they had already gone over. "Haven't we had enough revelations for one morning?" he asked hopefully, sighing when he saw the determined look shining from Rufus' eyes.

"No, one can never have too many revelations, and we're on a roll now, so I wish to take advantage of that," the blonde said stubbornly, pushing the Turk flat on his back and moving to straddle his hips.

"Rufus, I'm not going anywhere, so you don't have to pin me down," the Turk retorted, resting his hands on his lover's hips. "Whatever it is, just spit it out."

"We need to talk about Yazoo," Rufus began, putting a finger up to Tseng lips to silence him when the Turk tried to interrupt. "I think I understand now why you reacted the way you did to seeing him and Kadaj kissing earlier. It reminded you of what you and Sian went through, of all those feelings of hurt and betrayal, but you can't let your past cloud your judgement now. The remnants only had each other to cling to, just like you and Sian, and condemning them for that makes you no better than you parents and uncle."

Tseng flinched at the last part, looking away shamefully. Rufus was right, his treatment of Yazoo and the remnants was no better than his own family's treatment of him. For most of his life, he had struggled with what he and Sian had done, hating himself for his weakness and all the pain it had caused. He wanted to believe Rufus, to believe that what happened wasn't his fault, to hate his parents and uncle for what they had done instead, but still the guilt flared up and twisted in his chest.

Could he love Yazoo and be with him, knowing that his brothers would always be a part of his life? Would his own insecurities and past hurts taint any relationship he tried to develop with the beautiful young man? Could he really accept Yazoo, without feeling jealous of what he shared with Kadaj and Loz, as Rufus did? Stand back and let the remnants love each other, as his family never did for him and Sian? If he didn't, would separating them have the same tragic results?

"Tseng, please don't close down on me. I know this is hard for you and I don't want to hurt you, but I can't stand by and let you make the same mistake your parents did," Rufus implored, making Tseng turn back towards him and meet his eyes.

"I know, Rufus," he began, his voice no more than a whisper. "You're right and I can see that now. It just… seeing them together set off a whole encyclopaedia of memories that I'd been trying to forget and… and it still hurts so much. I want… I want to give him what mother and father never gave me."

Rufus reached out, pulling him up into a sitting position and wrapping his arms around him tightly. "Unconditional love," the blonde murmured, laying a kiss to the Turk's hair. "I know it hurts. Your parents betrayed you, sent you off to be tortured by your own uncle, treated you as some monster when all you were, was somebody desperate to be loved. Honestly, it's all I can do to stop myself flying over to Wutai and beating the life out of all of them."

"Veld already beat you to that," Tseng murmured, his own arms clinging to Rufus. "He killed my uncle and aunty, but I managed to stop him before he got to my parents."

"How did he find out?" Rufus asked, rubbing small circles on Tseng's back. "And why did you stop him from getting to your parents?"

"He searched my room and found my diary," Tseng answered, pulling back from Rufus' embrace to look into the younger man's eyes with a frown. "And I never wanted my parents killed, Rufus. I still love them, even if they never loved me. Besides, they've suffered enough already."

"How so? I would think you and Sian were the only two who suffered over all of this," Rufus muttered, his face showing his lack of sympathy for Tseng's parents.

"They were the one's who found Sian, after he… he killed himself," Tseng whispered, closing his eyes as feelings of guilt and pain threatened to drown him. Sian's suicide would always be his cross to bear, his greatest mistake. If only he had taken his brother with him that night….

"It's not your fault," Rufus' voice demanded, cutting into the spiral of guilt that threatened to consume him. "There was no way you could have known he would do that."

"It is my fault," Tseng answered flatly, opening his eyes once more. "The last night I saw him, that night when my parents came, everything went perfectly until I saw him. I didn't know Sian would be there and as soon as I looked at him, they knew. They could see my words were lies and that I still loved him, still wanted him so desperately."

Tseng turned towards the window, no longer able to hold his lover's gaze as he forced himself to admit to Rufus, what he'd never admitted to anyone before. "Later that night, he came to me with a plan for us both to escape and leave Wutai behind forever. I… I…," Tseng stuttered, taking a deep breath to regain some control before forcing the last of his confession out. "I betrayed him. Drugged him and then left, taking both the tickets to Midgar so he couldn't follow. Left him lying on the floor, crying out my name… begging me not to leave him." His last words were barely recognisable as his voice had fallen to a whisper, his vision blurring with selfish tears.

He felt hands on his face, turning him back towards the blonde, so he closed his eyes, not wanting to see Rufus disappointment in him, the condemnation that would surely be in those blue eyes. "Why? Why didn't you go together?" his lover's voice questioned softly.

"B…because I thought… I believed by then what my uncle said. I believed it was my fault. I thought that the only way to save him was… was to leave him," Tseng fought out through the swirl of emotions ripping through his mind. "I didn't want to! It hurt… it hurt so fucking much to walk away."

Suddenly, he was pulled back into Rufus' embrace and he could hear his lover's heart beating fast. "You stupid, self sacrificing, wonderful man," Rufus whispered, one hand holding Tseng's head gently to the blonde's shoulder while the other rubbed his back. "Do you realise that everything you've just told me only makes me love you more?"

Tseng was shocked by the words, not understanding how they could be true. He pulled back enough to look into his lover's face, finding eyes full of love looking back at him. "What?" he spluttered, confused and wide eyed.

"A lesser man would have begun to hate Sian, angry that he got off with no punishment when you were made to suffer so much. But not you. No matter what they did to you, you still loved him, still wanted what was best for him, still put him above yourself. You walked away from everything you ever knew to go to a place where you had nothing and nobody, just to give him a chance to live a normal life. Those bastards may have managed to brainwash you into believing that it was your fault, but they never managed to touch the love you felt for Sian."

"That… that doesn't bring him back," Tseng whispered, making Rufus smile sadly at him as he reached up to wipe the tears from the Turk's cheeks.

"No it doesn't. But you have to realize, Sian loved you so much he didn't want to live without you. He never understood that you loved him just as much. He didn't know what had been done to you, how you'd been brainwashed into believing that you would be your brother's undoing. Your parents never let him see the truth of what was done to you and he wasn't strong enough to break free of their hold. None of that is your fault, Tseng. You only did the best you could, with the knowledge you had at the time," Rufus insisted.

Tseng could find no words to respond, instead leaning into Rufus' chest and holding him tightly. He wanted to believe his lover's words but didn't know if he ever could. At least Rufus now knew all his dirty secrets and there was nothing left to hide. He had opened up completely and still, the blonde was here in his arms, loving him and accepting him, faults and all. That realization made all the rest bearable.

***..***

Reno woke up alone, frowning at the emptiness in the room. He'd gone to sleep in his partner's arms, warm and completely satisfied after one of the best sexual experiences he'd had in his life. Sure, he'd bottomed before, but nobody had ever made him feel like_ that_ while receiving. The only negative was waking up alone and cold, unsure as to what would happen next and when they would talk to Loz and Kadaj about what had happened.

The thought of the youngest remnant had Reno up and heading for the shower, eager to hold the little one in his arms once more. The whole partner swapping issue was confusing and new to Reno, despite how experienced he led everyone to believe he was. He'd only ever dated one person at a time in the past and all of them were before he joined the Turks, when he was still a boy. While a Turk, he'd had sexual partners, but no relationships and he was worried about doing the wrong thing and losing the person he wanted the most.

Five minutes later he was out, dressing quickly and heading towards the kitchen. He found Rude there alone, cooking up a storm, as was his usual morning routine. Reno would have teased him for being a substitute mother to them all, but he didn't want the big Turk to get offended and refuse to cook anymore. Most mornings, Rude's breakfasts were the only thing that got him out of bed.

"Hey, partner," he said cheerily, hiding his worry over what they'd done the night

before. "Something sure smells good in here."

"Morning, Reno," Rude said with a smile, putting down the spoon in his hand and walking over to Reno to pull him into a deep kiss. Reno made a squeak of surprise before closing his eyes and returning the kiss, his body pressing into the other Turk of its own accord. When they broke apart, Reno was breathless and a little dazed, looking up at his partner with a blush across his cheeks.

"You are far too tempting, Reno," Rude growled, his hand giving Reno's ass a quick squeeze before he released the stunned redhead and returned to his cooking. "Could you go and wake up the others, please? Breakfast will be ready in ten minutes."

Reno just stared at Rude, shocked by the greeting he'd received. It wasn't until Rude turned back towards him and lifted an eyebrow in question that he managed to force his body to move. "S… sure," he mumbled, turning away and heading for the remnants room.

He opened the door, still a little distracted by Rude's greeting, and heard the sound of the shower running. At least one of the boys was up, so he approached the bed to wake the others. The blankets were pulled up over the heads of the two in the bed, so Reno leant over and reached for the edge to pull it down. Suddenly, his arm was grabbed and he was flipped over, ending up on his back with two sets of green, slitted eyes smiling down at him mischievously.

"Good morning, lover," Kadaj purred, while Loz just continued to grin, both remnants holding one of his arms each. Reno opened his mouth to object to the rough treatment but his words were cut off by an enthusiastic kiss from the smallest remnant, his thoughts of annoyance swept away.

Kadaj released his arm, moving half way on top of him and grinding his hips against Reno as their kiss deepened. The youngest remnant began making those little noises that Reno loved so much and the redhead moved his free arm up to grab the little one's backside, squeezing it gently. Suddenly, the Turk felt another set of lips moving down his neck, sucking and biting a line down to his shoulder as a hand, too large to be Kadaj's, slipped inside his pants and wrapped around his cock. The redhead tensed up, his nerves getting the better of him as he broke from Kadaj's lips.

"S… stop," Reno gasped, blushing as his hips jerked up into Loz's hand.

"What's wrong?" Kadaj asked, looking a little worried.

"It's just… I… breakfast will be ready in… a minute… there's no time…," Reno stuttered out, his words breaking off with a hiss as Loz began to stroke him, firm and slow.

"There's time," Loz said softly, leaning in to kiss Reno, his every move dominate but gentle, reminding Reno of Rude.

"Besides, if we take too long, it will only be Rude that comes in to get us. Maybe he'd like to join in," Kadaj whispered in the redheads ear, as Loz released his lips.

"I know for a fact that he wouldn't mind," Loz agreed, smiling at Reno as the redhead flicked his gaze between the two.

"But I've never… I mean with more than one partner, I've never…," Reno stuttered, trying to explain but having trouble lining up his words as Loz's hand in his pants began to move faster.

"It's alright, Reno. We'll show you what to do and look after you," Loz replied, looking over at Kadaj. "Won't we, Daj?"

"Definitely," the youngest purred, his smile widening. "I will never let anyone hurt you, Reno. You should know that by now."

Kadaj lay a quick kiss to the redhead's lips before moving his kisses down his jaw. Reno closed his eyes, surrendering his control for the second time in the last twenty-four hours with a simple sigh. He felt his pants being removed, Loz slowly licking a line up his thigh that made him shiver as it got closer to his cock. The eldest remnant didn't tease once he reached his destination, swallowing Reno's whole length in one quick movement that had the redhead's hips jerking up to met him.

"Loz…," Reno moaned, his free hand grasping onto short, silver locks as the eldest hummed around his shaft.

"You like that, Reno? Like the feel of Loz's mouth wrapped around you… all wet and warm?" Kadaj murmured. Reno opened his eyes to look at his little lover, just in time to catch the boy licking over his nipple with a wicked smirk, making Reno bite his lip.

"Feels… amazing," the redhead replied, breathing hard as he moved the hand on Kadaj's backside up to thread through the youngest hair. "I want to taste you… want you in my mouth… now."

"Oh, baby," Kadaj whimpered, his eyes wide as his hand moved down to give his own length a quick stroke. "I would love that."

Loz released Reno's cock, looking up at both the other men with a grin. "Then what are we waiting for?" he asked, making Kadaj roll his eyes at his brother and chuckle.

"What… I mean, how should we do this?" Reno asked, blushing in embarrassment. He wasn't used to being this unsure, as usually he knew exactly what to do next, in the bedroom anyway.

"Lie on you side, facing Daj," Loz instructed, watching as the redhead moved into place. "And Daj, you lie on your side facing him, but upside down."

"Oh, I like your idea, brother," Kadaj whispered as he moved into place, head to hip with his lover. Reno could feel his little lover's breath ghosting over the head of his cock and he moved his own hand to stroke Kadaj's length, bringing it to his lips to suckle on the head. "Goddess… Reno… yes," the smallest remnant panted, thrusting a little into Reno's mouth as his own cock was surrounded by warm heat.

"Perfect," Loz murmured from behind Reno, placing a hand on the redhead's thigh. Reno could only hum in agreement, loving the feeling of giving as he received. Loz began to move, laying down behind the Turk slowly, the hand on Reno's thigh rubbing small comforting circles. The concern and care in the gesture did calm him, allowing him to relax into the new experience and forget his misgivings. The position reminded Reno of the morning when he had awoken to Loz grinding against him and he pushed his hips back into the eldest's, mumbling out a moan as Loz pushed forward, his bare cock warm and hard against the cleft of Reno's backside.

"I can't wait to be inside of you," Loz growled in his ear softly, his voice sending shivers up the redhead's spine as he felt a slick finger slip between his cheeks and play over his entrance. "First I'm going to play though. Want to see you begging for it… begging for it from me."

Reno could only whimper around Kadaj's cock as one finger slipped inside, pushed into the second knuckle as Loz began to suck up a mark on the back of his kneck. Keeping true to his words, it seemed like forever before another finger was added, Reno already thrusting forward into Kadaj's mouth and back onto the two fingers as he began to approach his peak. He didn't want to come yet, so he released Kadaj's cock, breathing in deeply before he attempted to speak.

"Too… too good. Daj, you gotta… stop. I'm gonna come…," he stuttered out. Kadaj reluctantly released him, grinning up at Reno's face before his eyes flicked to Loz's. Reno watched the youngest, sitting up on his knees and stroking himself slowly as he leant his head to one side, his eyes focused over the redhead's shoulder at Loz.

"Good idea, brother," his lover suddenly said, Reno frowning slightly at the sudden words. Loz's mouth was still sucking on Reno's neck, so he knew the oldest hadn't said a word. He would have asked, his Turk curiosity perking up despite all the distractions, if Rude hadn't picked that exact moment to enter the bedroom.

"Reno, I told you ten minutes. Why hasn't anyone turned up y….," Rude's words began, suddenly cutting off abruptly. "Well, that answers my question."

"Good morning, Rude," Kadaj said, Reno watching the uncertainty in his lover's eyes. "I hope you don't mind but we woke up in the mood to play." The youngest held out his hand then, his eyes holding Rude's as he asked, "Do you want to play too?"

***..***

Yazoo peaked out of the bathroom door, his eyes widening at the sight before him. Reno was lying on his back with Kadaj over him, upside down. Both were swallowing each others cocks but they weren't alone. Loz was behind Reno, slowly thrusting in and out as Rude stood behind Kadaj, doing the same. Yazoo was stunned. Knowing his brother's had been planning this for some time was one thing, seeing it for oneself, completely a different matter.

His eyes were drawn to Kadaj, his little brother looking so tiny in the midst of the larger men. He was a little worried at first, taking into account how well endowed Loz had said the dark Turk was, but Kadaj was obviousy in no pain. He actually looked like he was enjoying it so much that Yazoo had to adjust his own pants at the sounds Kadaj was making, the noises muffled around Reno's cock.

Biting his lip, his arousal convinced him it was time to get out of the room. He had promised himself he wouldn't be with his brother's like this anymore, determined to resist temptation and try and win the heart of Tseng. Rufus, he knew, would love him no less if he gave in, but Tseng was another matter. Just kissing Kadaj had angered the head Turk, making him turn cold eyes on Yazoo that he could still see, if he closed his own. That look had hurt, so much more than he could say out loud, but maybe, maybe he still had a chance.

Opening the door slowly, he quietly crept the short distance to the main door, opening it and slipping through with a last glance backwards. Nobody had seemed to notice, all four too lost in each other to see his escape. He quietly pulled the door shut, still being able to hear the noises of enjoyment through the wood. Sighing he walked out to the kitchen head down and arms wrapped around his waist in an attempt to comfort himself. He hadn't felt this alone ever before, not even when mother had left them. Then, he'd still had Daj and Loz but now…

How long would Rufus keep trying if Tseng refused to give him a chance? A week? A month? Would the President just give in immediately if the head Turk refused? Was Tseng really so disgusted with just one kiss that he would throw him away for ever?

Walking over to the coffee machine, he turned it on, leaning on the bench with both hands out in front. His head hung down between his arms as he stared at the brewing, dark liquid, lost in his own fears and trying to block out the sounds of pleasure he could still hear coming from down the hall.

"Yazoo?" a voice said softly from behind him, making him jump and jerk around suddenly, startled by the sudden company. Rufus stood looking at him with worry clear in his eyes, Tseng behind the President with his arms wrapped around the blonde's waist. Yazoo turned away, not meeting the Turk's eyes. He really couldn't face the disappointment or anger he'd find there right now, his nerves too raw with uncertainty and fear.

"Yazoo, what is wrong?" Rufus' voice repeated, closer now and just behind him.

"Nothing," he answered quickly, staring at the coffee once more while wishing they would both just get whatever they were here for and go back to bed. There was only so long he could hold himself together with them both so close but still unreachable.

He flinched when hands slipped around his waist, Rufus arms pulling him gently backwards and away from the counter top, into an embrace that he'd been longing for. Yazoo couldn't help but stiffen as he was turned around, closing his eyes to protect the emotions he was trying to hide from the President and Turk's keen gazes. Rufus nuzzled his cheek, making him suck in a breath as he worried over how Tseng would react to the affectionate gesture. His breathe hitched as his question was answered, a second set of hands slowly coming to rest on his thighs as the Turk pressed against his back.

"Forgive me for being unreasonable," Tseng's voice whispered in Yazoo's ear, the remnant trembling as his eyes flashed open to meet Rufus' grin. "I… I wish for a second chance."

Yazoo opened his lips to respond, only to stop when a particularly loud moan echoed down the hallway, making Rufus raise an eyebrow and glance towards it. "Who _is _that making so much damn noise?" he muttered, frowning at the interruption.

"Maybe we should move this discussion to a more private setting?" Tseng commented, laying a gentle kiss to the edge of Yazoo's ear. Rufus turned back, giving the silver haired youth a reassuring smile.

"Good idea," he said, stepping back but keeping hold of one of Yazoo's hands. "Shall we, Yazoo?"

***..***

TBC


	14. Symbiosis

**Title - The Measure of a Man **

**Fandom – FFVII**

**Characters – Yazoo, Kadaj, Loz, Tseng, Reno, Rude, Rufus**

**Warnings this chapter – yaoi, swearing, sex**

**Thanks - To chephren for the editing.**

**Disclaimer – Don't own the boys, just playing with them**

**Note – Story begins immediately after Advent Children**

* * *

_Sorry this took so long and I hope there are still some people out there interested in how this all ends. I may do an epilogue in the future, but I'm not promising anything at the moment, as I have far too many stories lined up that I'm so very far behind with updates on. Thank you to everyone who has favorited, put on alerts or reviewed this story. I appreciate every hit it gets as it was a labor of love for me, and I hope you like the ending._

* * *

**Chapter 14 – Symbiosis**

Yazoo followed Rufus into his bedroom with a worried expression, letting the blond direct him to sit on the edge of his bed as Tseng shut and locked the door behind them. The Turk watched as the remnant looked up at Rufus, his expression full of uncertainty and fear that pulled at Tseng's heart.

"Yazoo," Rufus said softly, one hand taking the youth's as he sat down beside him. "Just hear him out. I don't expect anything more from you than that, alright?"

Rufus' smile was sincere and his eyes glowed with affection, but it strangely didn't make the Wutain jealous. Tseng moved closer, kneeling on the floor before Yazoo as he patiently waited for the youth's eyes to turn towards him. When they finally did, they only stayed for a moment before turning downwards and Tseng frowned, his determination wavering for only a moment before he took a deep breath and started to speak.

"Please forgive me Yazoo. The way I reacted to you and Kadaj kissing was unacceptable… once more," Tseng began, sighing as he watched the youth trembling before him. He frowned, looking over at Rufus who smiled encouragingly back at him. Taking a deep breath, Tseng plowed on, determined to convince Yazoo that he was sincere. "I keep fucking this up and it is always you who suffers for my mistakes. I am so very sorry that my own… issues keep causing you pain." He slowly reached forward to gently place a finger under Yazoo's chin and lift the youth's face, green eyes shyly meeting his own. "Please know that I understand what you and your brothers share together, honestly, I do. I just reacted that way because… well, because…." The words caught in his throat as he tried to force them out but couldn't. The shame over his relationship with his own brother was still there, twisting in his stomach and he flinched at his failure to explain as Yazoo's eyes darted away once more and his own hand dropped away from the youth's face.

"You don't have to forgive me and I will understand if you no longer have any interest in pursuing a relationship with me. I know I am a difficult person to deal with, but I will not get in the way of you continuing a relationship with Rufus, no matter what you decide," Tseng finished sadly, his own eyes dropping to the floor as he internally berated himself for not being able to explain better.

Yazoo's eyes turned back towards the Turk, surprise shining from their depths. "I would like to try a relationship with both you and Rufus… the three of us as one," Yazoo finally murmured, his words making the Wutain's own eyes widen in shock. "I don't understand exactly why you were so angry and I hope that in time, you will trust me enough to tell me, so that I _can_ understand."

"It's not that I don't trust you. It just… hurts to talk about it," Tseng said softly, the sadness washing over his thoughts at the reminder of his own lost brother. Yazoo's hand made his breath catch as it tucked a loose strand of the Turk's hair back behind his ear.

"How do you truly feel about the three of us being together?" Yazoo asked, his expression serious as his fingers began to twine through Tseng's hair.

"I would like it very much. I have never had such a relationship before, so I do have to warn you that you will have to be patient with me but I will try hard to make it work," Tseng replied, a slight blush coloring his cheeks.

"Finally," Rufus muttered, chuckling as Tseng and Yazoo turned towards him. The Turk grinned at his troublesome charge before turning back to the remnant, moving forward to rest his head on the youth's lap. Rufus leant in to kiss Yazoo's cheek before leaning down to do the same to Tseng. "How about we have a drink to celebrate our new arrangement?" he said, unable to hide the excitement in his voice as he moved over to the bar, not bothering to wait for a reply.

Tseng chuckled at his enthusiasm, eyes glancing up towards Yazoo to find the youth smiling back at him. "Thank you," he whispered, closing his eyes as he savored the gentle caress of fingers through his hair.

***.***

"Oh goddess. I think you broke me," Reno whined, lying flat out on his back across the bed, shamelessly naked.

Kadaj huffed and rolled over to punch the redhead in the arm, Reno yelping at the attack. "You're broken? I'm half the size of you and Rude is bigger than Loz, asshole!" the youngest remnant hissed, pout in full force as he glared down at his lover. "Besides, you came twice! So there's no way you can say that you didn't enjoy every minute of Loz fucking you."

Rude chuckled from the end of the bed as he and Loz watched the fiery two argue. The oldest remnant was curled around his back, chin resting wearily on Rude's shoulder.

"I enjoyed Reno. Did you enjoy Kadaj, Rude?" Loz asked, happily nuzzling his Turk's neck.

"Yes, I enjoyed Kadaj," Rude added, grinning at the littlest remnant affectionately as Reno pulled the pouting boy down against his chest.

"Does that mean we can play with them again some time?"

Rude turned and smiled at the hopeful look on his lover's face. "Yes, I'd like to," he answered, getting a gentle kiss from Loz at his reply.

"Hey, isn't anyone gonna ask me if I want to share again? Do I get any say in this all?" Reno complained.

"No!" both the remnants said in unison, Rude chuckling as Reno smirked.

"Yeah, okay whatever. I demand recovery time first though. My ass is off limits for at least a day, maybe longer," Reno muttered, rolling over on top of Kadaj and pinning the smallest remnant to the bed. "Which means someone is gonna have to bend over for me… any volunteers?" he asked, staring directly at Kadaj who blushed as he frowned back at him.

"Not me. I need recovery time too," he murmured, rubbing noses with the redhead. Rude chuckled at how quickly the two could change moods. One minute they were fighting and the next, they were loving and gentle.

"I think we all need recovery time," Rude agreed, kissing Loz's forehead, the oldest remnant humming contentedly.

"I wonder how Yazoo, Rufus and Tseng are going. I hope they're all finally getting along, although it would be a miracle if they were," Reno pondered, rolling off of Kadaj and onto his back to stare up at the roof as his smile disappeared. Rude frowned, thinking about the other three and sharing the redhead's concern. He couldn't help but feel sorry for Yazoo, the middle brother having such a hard time in gaining Tseng's trust.

"They are going good… better than good, actually," Loz said softly, causing Rude to turn and look at him with an eyebrow raised.

"What?" the dark Turk asked, Loz's eyes flashing panic as he looked back at Rude.

"I mean, they must be because we can't hear any yelling or… anything," Loz muttered, his eyes averted from his lover's.

"You two are doing it again, aren't you?" Reno demanded, sitting up and staring at the oldest remnant as Kadaj whimpered. Rude's eyes flickered back and forth between the remnants before stopping on Reno.

"What's going on, Reno? What are they doing again?" he asked, trying to work out what the hell was going on.

"We're not doing anything. Loz is just being stupid," Kadaj cut in, glaring over at his older brother.

"Bullshit. Answer my damn question, Kadaj. I've noticed you two doing stuff like this before and I'm not gonna be distracted from finding out the truth this time," Reno insisted, pushing Kadaj away when the youngest tried to snuggle up to him. "Rude, haven't you noticed?"

"Noticed what?" Rude asked, getting frustrated at the argument that nobody was explaining to him.

"They're talking to each other in their heads," Reno finally explained while pointing at his own head, Rude's eyes widening at how serious the redhead sounded.

With Jenova gone, the remnants were supposed to be just like any other human. _If they are still able to communicate telepathically, what else were they hiding?_ he thought, worry making his stomach twist.

"Are you sure, Reno?" Rude asked, turning towards Loz who looked so frightened that it left him afraid to hear what his partner had to say.

"Haven't you noticed in the last week how they know things without telling each other? Like when Yazoo freaked out, they both knew that something was wrong with him and ran to him. I don't know about Loz, but Kadaj went all zombie like and started yelling his brother's name and saying no. Explain how he knew that from just the sound of something breaking in the distance?"

Rude stared, trying to get his brain to function and think up a more simple explanation through the shock that had taken over him. "Loz zoned out at the same time," he finally murmured, his eyes coming up to meet Reno's.

"And then, when Tseng brought Yazoo back from the forest, him and Kadaj had that weird thing were they like forgot the rest of us were even in the room and they were making out and Loz was all zombied out until he grabbed them and pulled them apart, yelling about it not being their fault and that mother made them like that and that they were born different," Reno continued to insist, looking at Rude and not noticing Kadaj's frightened expression as the youngest peered at him, backing slowly away across the bed.

"I thought he was just talking about the incest stuff," Rude said, not wanting to see the pattern that was emerging. "The being born different could have just been him referring to that. When they zoned out the first time, it could have just been them guessing. We did leave Yazoo alone in Rufus' office and the sound of breaking glass came from there," Rude continued, trying to justify it, to himself as much as to the redhead.

"There was another time I noticed it too. That time that I went in to wake up Loz and Kadaj and they started… doing stuff…," Reno began, blushing a little at the thought of that morning before he cleared his throat and continued. "Just before you came in, Loz was sucking on my neck and Kadaj answered him like the oldest had just asked him a question. There's no way he could have signaled him or anything like that as his hands were as busy as his mouth. Kadaj said something like, good idea, and Loz acted like he'd spoken, when he hadn't. I was gonna say something at the time but then you came in and… well, I got distracted."

"Loz?" Rude asked, shuffling around to find his lover trembling with his arms wrapped around himself. "Don't be afraid. Please, is there truth in what Reno is saying?" he asked, reaching out to take the oldest's hand.

***.***

Yazoo's hand stilled in Tseng's hair just as Rufus asked him a question, his face going blank as his brother's panicked voices filled his mind. The other two Turk's had discovered the mind link and were insisting on an explanation, much to the distress of both Kadaj and Loz. Yazoo didn't know what to do, his own fear rising as he realized Rufus and Tseng would be wondering why he had tuned out.

_Let my mind go!_ Yazoo sent his brothers, frightened that everything would fall apart if Tseng and Rufus found out. _If you don't, Rufus and Tseng will know too! Tell them the truth and make them promise to keep it a secret… that's all you can do at this point. Convince them to protect us! I'm with Rufus and Tseng… I can't talk now!_

The mind link cut off abruptly with only a burst of anger from Kadaj and Yazoo flinched, bringing a hand up to his forehead in reflex to the sudden disconnection.

"Yazoo? Are you alright?" Tseng voice asked and Yazoo opened his eyes to find the Head Turk looking up at him in concern, Rufus sitting beside him with curious expression.

"I… I'm sorry. I think I may have drunk too much," he quickly mumbled, handing his now empty third drink over to Rufus. "My apologies." Rufus grinned and took the glass away as Tseng moved to sit next to Yazoo on the bed, wrapping an arm around him and pulling the youth against his chest.

"Our apologies. We tend to forget your inexperience with things we take for granted," the Wutain murmured, his free hand coming up to thread through Yazoo's hair gently. The middle remnant had to bite his tongue to not giggle, amazed at how easy it was to manipulate Tseng. Rufus wasn't so easily swayed and knew the alcohol didn't effect the remnants so much, but for now didn't comment, much to Yazoo's relief.

A cool hand on his cheek had him turning to find Rufus crouched down in front of him with a glass of water and a smirk that disappeared before Tseng glanced over. "Here, drink this. It will help," the blond said. Yazoo smiled back, thankful that Rufus was on his side, for now at least.

"Here, Tseng," Rufus murmured, passing Tseng yet another drink. The President was still nursing his second drink, while the Turk was up to number five and starting to sway a little. Yazoo raised an eyebrow at the President, knowing that Rufus was up to no good, as usual. He couldn't help but smirk as he watched the blond walk around out of sight of the Wutain, taking off his clothing as he went.

***.***

"You know how I feel about you… nothing can change that, but you need to be honest with me now. A relationship has to be built on honesty and trust, Loz," Rude murmured, holding the oldest's remnant's hand in his own.

Reno turned to find Kadaj slowly climbing off the bed and he reached out, grabbing the youth's arm. "Same goes for me, kid. I love you but ya gotta come clean with us. If there's lies between us, everything is gonna fall apart and I don't want to lose you, baby."

"You love me?" Kadaj asked, big eyes peering up at the redhead as Reno swallowed, his heart missing a beat as it always did when the youngest remnant looked at him like that.

"Yeah, of course," Reno whispered, pulling Kadaj closer. "I've said it before, haven't I?"

"Only during sex and that doesn't count," the youth replied, cuddling up to the redhead's chest. "I love you too, Reno."

Reno chuckled, laying a kiss to the top of the youth's head. "So, I'm right, aren't I? You three have this mind link thing going on still, even though Jenova is gone."

"Yes… but it's all we have left. Our strength and weapons… everything else is gone," Kadaj murmured, Reno's arms around him giving him the strength to admit it.

"We didn't tell you because we thought you'd reject us because we're not normal," the littlest remnant continued, arms holding tightly around Reno's waist as if he expected to be pushed away.

"Baby, we know you're not normal and it doesn't matter to us," Reno reassured, glancing over to find Rude watching them with a frown, Loz still next to him but his eyes down on the bedding. "Rude, it doesn't matter, does it?" he asked his partner, eyes locking with the dark Turk. Reno tilted his head to one side, gesturing at Loz and Rude finally snapped out of his shock.

"Loz, you're perfect for me, no matter what differences there are between us. We'll talk about the mind link later, but it doesn't change the way I feel," Rude murmured, a hand moving to Loz's chin and lifting the remnant's face. "And we won't tell Rufus or Tseng. I don't have to be a mind reader to know you're worried about that too."

Loz face suddenly lit up in a smile and Reno grinned as he watched the other two embrace.

***.***

Tseng was feeling good, the drinks Rufus had been pushing on to him all night relaxing him as he continued to hold Yazoo. The middle remnant had his head on the Turk's shoulder now and every breath he took tickled along Tseng's skin as his hands began to wander, slipping up under the youth's shirt to gentle trace patterns on his back.

Yazoo shuffled a little beside him and Tseng pulled him onto his lap before he'd really even thought about it. Looking up into tentative green eyes, the Wutain found his hands had found their own way to the youth's backside, gently squeezing through the cotton pants that he wished he could make disappear right now.

"I want… I want more, but I know I don't deserve it. I've done nothing to earn your trust or win your respect. Tell me, Yazoo… tell me what I can do to earn these things from you. To earn another chance to be with you," Tseng muttered, the alcohol making his words slur a little as he leaned up to gently kiss soft lips that responded instantly. The remnant licked along his lips and he opened his mouth to him, letting the youth take charge of the kiss as he stayed submissive, moaning at how aggressively his mouth was taken by Yazoo.

Once Tseng began pushing his hips up into Yazoo, the younger man pulled back, grinning down at him. "You wish to win my trust, to earn another chance with me?" he murmured before looking over Tseng's shoulder towards Rufus. "What do you think, Mr President? What would be a suitable way for Tseng to earn his redemption?"

"Oh that's easy," Rufus purred, moving to sit behind Tseng on his knees, his legs spread out on either side as he pressed himself completely against the Wutain. Tseng felt the blond's penis, hard and hot against his back and he bit his lip at the feeling, surprised as he hadn't noticed Rufus taking off his clothes… and when exactly had he lost his own shirt… and pants?. "Although, I don't think Tseng is man enough to do it. What do you say, Tseng? Just how far are you willing to go to win back Yazoo? To show him how much you want him?"

"I will do anything," Tseng whispered, arching his neck to the side as Rufus began to kiss and softly bite it. "There is nothing I… w-wouldn't do," he continued, pulling Yazoo down for another kiss, their tongue's twisting together as the youth fisted a hand in Tseng's hair and pulled gently. Tseng was wriggling to try and gain some friction, his hands beginning to work the remnant's pants down as his breath sped up.

"Will you let Yazoo fuck you?" Rufus whispered in his ear, making Tseng's movements stop dead as his eyes widened. He'd been trying to guess what the blond was going to suggest but that hadn't even entered his mind.

"I… I…," Tseng stuttered, swallowing around the lump that had formed in his throat. The alcohol had dulled his mind, preventing him from working through the shock and forming a coherent reply as he argued with himself. _Isn't it fair to let Yazoo have this, to show how serious I am this time about giving myself to the remnant, in both body and mind?_

Yazoo stood up as the Turk continued to stare, removing the rest of his clothes slowly in a sensual display that quickly made Tseng forget the question all together. He absently felt Rufus slipping both hands around his waist and then the sudden warmth of warm hands wrapping around his cock and stroking slowly as the President's voice whispered in his ear, "Trust us. We will never hurt you, or give you any cause to doubt our affection. Let us both love you, Tseng."

"Would you let me claim you, Tseng? It would prove your trust… prove to me that you consider me an equal. Are you serious enough to give me such a gift?" Yazoo purred, letting his shirt fall to the floor to leave him completely bare before the Turk. His hands began to slowly rove over his bared skin, light caresses tickling and taunting until one hand found his own cock and began to slowly stroke in time to Rufus' movements on Tseng's.

"I… I want to prove it to you s-so much that I am willing to…to…," Tseng stuttered, his mind muddled as he began to thrust into the President's hand, his eyes glued on the sensual movements of the remnant before him. "I want to touch you. Let me touch you… please, Yazoo?"

Rufus chuckled in his ear, making Tseng frown as he desperately tried to focus. "Would you like to suck his cock, Tseng? Taste it in your mouth? I know I'd like to see him fucking your pretty face," Rufus murmured, biting one of the Wutain's earlobes and making the older man hiss.

"Only if he wants to, Rufus," Yazoo whispered, the youth giving the blond a stern look before glancing back towards the Turk. "Do you, Tseng? Do you desire to taste me?" Yazoo asked, slowly walking over until he stood in front of Tseng, within arms reach but still giving the Turk plenty of space.

Instead of answering, Tseng reached out and pulled Yazoo closer, leaning forward and taking the youth's cock into his mouth without hesitation, moaning as Yazoo's fingers threaded through his hair and held him in place.

***.***

"Fuck, yes," Rufus muttered, kneeling upright so he could kiss Yazoo over Tseng, his cock rubbing against the Wutain's back. "Look at him swallowing you down so eagerly, Yazoo. He's so hungry for your cock, love. Now make him earn you… make him work to earn the right to be claimed by you."

Rufus sat back down, grabbing the Turk's arms and pulling them behind his back so Tseng was left bent forward with no control as Yazoo's hands came to gently rest on each side of his face. The position should have made the Wutain panic but instead he groaned, his cock twitching in Rufus' hand and convincing the President that his Turk was enjoying it.

"Oh, Tseng," Yazoo moaned, pulling out slowly to push back in gently as his eyes locked on his own cock going in and out past the Wutain's pale lips. "So many times… I've dreamed of this… nhhh… you suck cock so well."

Rufus chuckled, about to comment when Tseng's hands began fumbling around and grabbed his own cock, making him groan and rest his head on his Turk's back but he didn't let go of his grip on the other's elbows. "Fuck!" he exclaimed as his cock was squeezed, firmly but not hard enough. "You've… always been… multi skilled," Rufus panted, beginning to thrust into his Turk's wicked hands.

Rufus looked up, not wanting to miss a minute of Yazoo fucking the Head Turk's face. Both the other two had their eyes locked together, the remnant panting as his thrusts began to speed up. "Tseng… nhhhh…. I want to fuck you, baby. I want to fuck you… oh goddess. Will you… show me your trust?" the youth mumbled, losing control of his words as Tseng kept up the suction and hummed.

"How do… how do you want him, Yaz? Tell us the position… fuck," Rufus moaned as Tseng sped up his hands, squeezing the end of the President's cock at every pass.

***.***

It was so wonderfully good, but Yazoo had to stop, too close to coming and wanting so very much to climax buried inside the Head Turk's tight ass. He'd only done it that once before and then it had been with Tseng under the influence of Mother. This time was different. This time Tseng wanted it. Just the thought made the youth thrust in hard, choking the Turk and Yazoo panicked, pulling away quickly and falling on his knees with his hands still cradling Tseng's face. "I'm so sorry, are you alright?" he asked urgently.

Tseng coughed a little before giving him a grin and nodding. "Fuck me, Yazoo… I want you to claim me as yours," he murmured, the youth's face lighting up in a heart wrenching smile.

Tseng's words stopped Rufus' movements, the President releasing his hold on the Turk's arms and moving back to sit with his back against the head board of the bed, catching his breath. Yazoo gazed at him, so very touched that Rufus would just move away to let him have Tseng, even though it was obvious from the state of the blond how aroused he was right now. The youth didn't want to leave Rufus out though, knowing that without him, none of this would be happening right now.

He leant in close to Tseng, kissing him gently before whispering, "Tseng, we can't leave Rufus out of this. Without him, we'd never have worked things out and he's been so good to me."

Tseng smiled, cradling the youth's face in his hands. "You sweet child. Of course we won't leave him out. I think I have the perfect thing in mind for the President. I would like it if you prepared me while I see to his needs," the Turk whispered back, giving Yazoo a final kiss and pressing a tube into his hands before climbing up onto the bed. The youth watched as Tseng paused, gazing at Rufus as the blond stroked his own cock with his eyes closed. The Wutain's expression was predatory as he crawled on all fours over to Rufus, the President opening his eyes to find the Turk hovering over his cock.

"Always so impatient, Mr President," Tseng's voice said softly, his hands moving to spread a stunned Rufus' thighs open and pull the blond's hands away before his mouth took their place.

"Fuck… Tseng!" Rufus exclaimed, his hands moving to hold his legs up, as wide as he could possibly spread them. Yazoo opened the tube of lube and rubbed some over his fingers as he watched, amazed at how easily the Turk had Rufus completely under his control. He was determined to learn how to do it too, the thought of topping Rufus making his cock twitch hungrily.

Tseng moaned around the President's cock, pushing his hips back as Yazoo's finger entered him, bobbing his mouth over Rufus' cock. The President already sounded close, whimpering Tseng's name over and over until the Turk pulled back, gazing down at the panting blond who was looking at him pleadingly.

"Rufus… kiss me," Tseng growled, hissing as Yazoo added another finger. "Later, I will make you pay for trying to get me drunk tonight," he whispered against the blond's mouth, biting down on Rufus' bottom lip as he pushed a dry finger inside of the President. Yazoo raised an eyebrow, hearing the exchange and a little worried about Rufus getting into trouble, but the blond's groan of enjoyment eased his concerns a little. It seemed Tseng's punishment would be one that Rufus would enjoy, so he let it go for now, believing that the Turk would never really hurt the President.

Yazoo watched the two kiss for awhile, Rufus' groaning making the youth's cock twitch with need. He pulled his attention away, concentrating on twisting his fingers inside of the Head Turk and searching around until he found the spot that made Tseng buck back and groan. The Youth worked in another finger, watching as they squeezed into the Wutain's tight channel, eager to be there himself. Yazoo wanted to fuck Rufus as well, but he was sure Tseng would help him with that another day, for the sake of revenge, if nothing else.

"Yazoo, don't stop," Tseng moaned, leaning down to start sucking Rufus again as he pushed a second finger inside the President, roughly pushing them against the blond's prostate. Yazoo watched, looking forward to seeing Rufus lose control. Usually, when they'd had sex in the past, Yazoo was either climaxing himself or still recovering when Rufus came and he always missed it.

Rufus didn't disappoint, his whimpering changing into mumbled begging as his hands fisted in Tseng's hair. The head Turk simply sped up his fingers and sucked hard, the President's orgasm hitting him hard as he arched back against the headboard and filled Tseng's mouth with his seed.

Yazoo watched Rufus come, smiling as his own fingers kept a steady pace and his free hand stroked Tseng's cock absently. Seeing the President look so young and vulnerable was a definite bonus for today, one he wouldn't soon forget. When Tseng lifted his head and kissed the President hard, Yazoo could only moan, turned on by the fact the Wutain was making the blond taste his own come.

"Yazoo," Tseng called, looking over his shoulder through half lidded eyes. "Need you to fuck me now." Yazoo grinned at how demanding the Wutain still sounded, even while offering up his ass.

"Not like this. Will you lie on your back for me? I want to watch you face… see your expression when I enter you and when you come," Yazoo said softly, pulling his fingers free and sitting back to watch as Tseng moved into position across the bottom of the bed, leaving Rufus to recover where he was. Once he was there, he reached out to Yazoo, pulling him down into a kiss as his hands caressed over the youth's skin.

"I want you so much," Tseng whispered, kissing him hungrily once more as his legs spread wide and lifted to wrap around Yazoo and rest on his ass. The remnant was a little taken back by the sudden submissiveness, but he ached to sink inside Tseng's tightness once more so he mentally shrugged off the feeling and reached between them with one hand, grabbing his cock and lining it up at the Wutain's entry.

"I want you too. I have for so long," Yazoo whispered before slowly pushing inside, his eyes locked onto Tseng's to catch every emotion that flittered through those dark eyes. Yazoo tried to hold the Wutain's gaze for as long as possible but his own lids eventually closed, the tightness too intense. Once he was fully inside, Yazoo paused, panting heavily as he rested his forehead on Tseng's shoulder.

"Yazoo," Tseng murmured, making the remnant lift his head and fight his eyes open. "Forgive me… for how I acted."

"Hush… all is forgiven," Yazoo whispered, gently kissing Tseng's lips as he slowly began to thrust. The Wutain moaned into his mouth, lifting his hips to meet the youth's as he set a relaxed rhythm, wanting to draw the whole experience out as long as possible. Yazoo knew that this was a gift to him, a special situation that would not be repeated often, if at all. The Head Turk usually always topped, his dominate nature making this all the more important to Yazoo.

"Yaz… fuck… faster… harder," Tseng groaned, his arms coming up to wrap around the remnant's shoulders and pull him close. Yazoo moaned, his hips obeying the Turk's command and increasing in speed and power as their lips met, bodies moving as one.

***.***

Rufus relaxed back and watched, smiling at how gorgeous his two lovers looked together. He was surprised by how right it felt, his usual possessiveness in regards to Tseng absent when it came to sharing him with Yazoo. It was a little irksome that the youth got to top Tseng when he had never had the pleasure, but in time, the blond supposed he would get the chance too. After all, Yazoo had never topped him either. Looking at that little pale behind, thrusting so forcefully, made Rufus think about it though and Tseng seemed to be enjoying it well enough… if all the sounds he was making were any indication.

The President shuffled a little on the bed, his own rear end a little tender from Tseng's busy fingers earlier. The bastard had not only shoved them in dry but had also bitten his lip, leaving him with a split that he couldn't seem to stop licking over with his tongue. Admittedly, it had felt good at the time and he probably deserved it for pushing the Wutain into letting Yazoo top him. At least he was getting a show he wouldn't soon forget and he'd finally gotten the two together so the drama could end for now.

The bed started to bounce and Rufus' grin widened as he watched Tseng arch under Yazoo, coming with a moan of the youth's name that had Yazoo following him into bliss only a couple of thrusts later. It was a wonderful sight, the view strangely making him feel more melancholy than turned on. Finally, the family he'd always wanted was together, chosen instead of forced onto him and he couldn't be happier, knowing that he would find more love in Tseng and Yazoo's arms than he'd ever found from his own blood relations.

"Rufus, get your skinny ass over here," Tseng growled, holding out a hand as he and Yazoo gazed at the President, the remnant now curled into the Turk's other side. The blond moved to lie on the other side without a word, grinning as they all settled in to rest. Yes, this was worth everything else… maybe even the fall of Shinra, not that Rufus would ever admit that out loud. "Stop thinking and sleep, Rufus. Yazoo gets to top you in the morning so you'll need your rest," Tseng murmured, grinning as the President sat up in alarm.

"He's joking, Rufus. Relax, baby," Yazoo crooned, pulling the blond back down against Tseng's side once more. "I already trust you, so it's not necessary."

Rufus thought about it and smiled, knowing that even though Yazoo got to top Tseng first, he'd been the one the Wutain had trusted with the secrets of his past. He'd also been the first to top Yazoo, so, with his ego satisfied for now, the President finally relaxed and lay back down. "Thank you for your trust, little one," he murmured reaching across Tseng's chest to caress the youth's hair, sighing at the memory of Sephiroth that always seemed to crop up to haunt him when he touched those silver locks.

"Little one," Tseng repeated, voice laced with something that made Rufus glance up towards him with a concerned look as he suddenly remembered where he'd heard the pet name before. He opened his mouth to apologize when the Wutain met his gaze, smiling back at him and bringing a finger up to his lips to stop his words. "It's okay… it matches Yazoo perfectly," he said softly, Rufus smiling at the Turk's easy acceptance of the nickname that had once been his brother's special name for him. Rufus could only nuzzle into his neck, still whispering a quiet sorry before settling, Tseng's hand on his back rubbing circles that slowly lulled him to sleep.

**The End… **

moam14


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